《Return of the Onion Knight [LitRPG/Underpowered]》


 Preface

    RotOK (Return of the Onion Knight) started with a really basic idea.


    "What sucked the most about being in my twenties?"


    I cycled through a lot of ideas, but one of the biggest that stood out to me was the feeling that I had somehow fallen behind my friends and colleagues. And the bitterness and self-doubt that comes from that.


    I started my professional career working a great job for great pay, but I felt like an imposter the entire time I was there. It stressed me out and made me feel undeserving of the advantages I had. So I quit that job and started over in a new industry from the bottom. Making minimum wage. In Korea. (Hint: This was not a good idea)


    I didn''t realize it at the time, but I essentially reset my career and set myself back about 5 years compared to colleagues and friends. While I always had a lot of self-doubt, that''s when the jealousy and bitterness set in. Around the time my friends were investing in their future and buying new cars and houses, I was barely making ends meet and re-learning the basics of a new career.


    Those are the feelings I really want to explore with RotOK. Not just the idea of wanting to be great, but what happens when you feel so far away from your goals. When it feels like everyone has more advantages than you.


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    That''s not to say that RotOK isn''t about swinging swords, activating power spells and defeating waves of monsters. It is that, too. I''m a visual person, so I''ll sketch out storyboards and draw out maps for the story and its environments. Some of which make their way into the final product.


    But I wanted a story that''s as much about the fantasy world of RotOK as that quiet voice you hear when you''re alone with yourself.


    The MC and the world of RotOK.


    RotOK takes place in a world besieged by monsters. The initial story takes place in the 2000''s following a group of players on the cusp of graduating from the most prestigious academy in Korea. At the academy, cadets are ranked on basic skills, academics and performance. But in the real world, players are ranked on experience, fame and wealth.


    The story centers on Jinyoung, first in his class at the academy. But through a set of circumstances, he is trapped in a dungeon. When he finally gets freed, he returns to a world he barely recognizes. His friends and family have all grown up and he''s starting his adult life in a world that''s left him far behind.


    What is an Onion Knight?


    Okay, so it''s actually a term from games and fantasy literature. It refers to a knight class that is very weak in the beginning, but through hard work, becomes much stronger at higher levels. Depending on the book or game you play, Onion Knights have very specific rules and characteristics. RotOK doesn''t follow those rules, but it takes a lot of inspiration from them. Also, the MC will not be wearing knight armor that makes him look like an onion.

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (1)

    The broken city was quiet. Or so it seemed.


    Deeper in, things waited. Eyes watched carefully for movement. Something was always waiting. Hunting.


    But this far out from the city center, away from the remnants of skyscrapers reaching out to the sun, it was quiet. Still, the city was watching.


    ***


    "Listen up, you all know why you''re here. Follow the rules and we''ll be done before afternoon."


    This was the fifth team in as many days the proctor had been charged with. They were all young, which wasn''t unheard of. The dungeon was still a live one and most teams brought at least one experienced player with them. Last week, he''d proctored a test with just one graduating cadet and four guild players. The brat even had a brand new armor set, probably a gift from a family member.


    He scanned the list in front of him. All graduating cadets were looking to pass their final exam except for one younger academy student. Barely a freshman. One of the older cadets placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. A ride along.


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    "The cadets know the rules, but seeing as how we have a freshman, a review couldn''t hurt."


    Senior cadets of the academy are given one final test before graduation: a live dungeon crawl. Each team may consist of up to 5 members with no limitations or requirements for party makeup. That means they can be filled with fellow senior cadets, younger academy students, or skilled players.


    The goal is to reach the first dungeon checkpoint, retrieve a flag, and return to the entrance where the proctor is waiting. The combat zone is live so there will be monsters between the entrance and the checkpoint.


    There is no time limit. There is no combat requirement. The only requirement is that each cadet graduate retrieve a flag for themself before returning to the entrance.


    Teams may equip themselves with any provisions, weapons and armor they see fit. The academy provides a physical map which the team must use to navigate their way to and from the checkpoint.


    The proctor led the young team to the mouth of an underground entrance. The signs had worn with time, but it used to be a subway station. The academy had sent scouts to this and a dozen dungeons like it weeks ago. The scouts mapped out a section of the dungeon for the cadets using the main pathways and confirmed that there weren''t any high-level monsters until the first checkpoint. But it was up to the team to stick to the map and make their way back out alive.


    "Take a minute, make sure you have what you need. Are you ready?"


    The team looked at one another and five young faces nodded in unison. The proctor grinned. He liked this group.


    "Okay, enter the dungeon. Good luck."

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (2)

    While the entrance was overrun with nature, the tunnels themselves were well kept. Thanks to its distance from the city center, most people were able to get out in time when the break hit. There wasn''t the same trail of belongings left behind or broken turnstiles found at other stations.


    It wouldn''t have been surprising if someone were to flick on a switch and the lights were to turn on. Followed slowly by the hum of people making their way up and down the stairs to catch the next car. It felt like the station was still alive. Maybe, it was asleep. Maybe it was waiting.


    ***


    "How much further?"


    "We should be coming up on a T-junction that''ll take us further down."


    The team moved slowly. With Cyrus taking up point and Jinyoung following close behind. Anything that attacked from the front would be facing the two top ranking cadets of the academy, while Johann followed behind guiding them with the map.


    "Any signs of trouble yet?"


    "Not yet, Seah. But we''ll call out if we see anything."


    Seah took up the rear guard. She was charged with making sure nothing snuck up on them, but also with protecting Hana, the freshman.


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    "Eyes up, Jinyoung."


    Cyrus was staring dead ahead. A set of stairs led down to the B2 level of the station where they would find their checkpoint. But between them, a small party of undead were milling about.


    The two in the lead pressed themselves low behind a pillar, peaking out to take a headcount. Seeing their teammates stiffen, the rest moved to the edges of the hallway and ducked down.


    Jinyoung signaled back to the others.


    Five enemies. Low-leveled. Move into ambush formation. 1 to 1.


    The team slowly spread out as they''d been trained to do. Each one picked out a target and moved silently through the shadows. Hana, the youngest and least experienced, knew from her lessons the team leader would move first and the rest would follow immediately after. Cyrus made eye contact with each member of his team before readying his sword and silently slipping out from behind the pillar.


    There was no war cry or skill charge. The undead were weak enough that a surprise attack would lead to one-hit kills for most of the team. He closed the gap as quickly as he could and swung his sword hard. Wordlessly, the target''s body found itself without a head.


    Nearby Johann effortlessly hit his target with two perfect arrows through the head. Seah''s target was furthest so she hit it with a dagger to the back before making it close enough to bury another blade in its skull. Jinyoung moved last and used his [DASH] skill to move in close impossibly quickly and behead his own target. Hana sprinted in close and used a heavy slash to cleave her opponent nearly in two making a CLANG! when her blade hit the tiled floor.


    The team stiffened and waited silently. Waiting for signs that something had heard that. That something might be coming.

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (3)

    The dungeon was silent and the shadows did not stir.


    "We''re clear." Cyrus shot a look at Jinyoung. Even in the darkness of the underground subway station, everyone saw it. Especially Hana.


    "Johann, scout ahead and make sure we''re alone here. Take Seah with you as backup. Be back in five minutes."


    The two of them nodded and quietly made their way down the stairs until they disappeared from sight.


    "I''m going to backtrack and check out some of the alternate pathways. You two stay here."


    It was standard practice for parties to split up when scouting a dungeon. Two players venture ahead to make sure there weren''t any monsters nearby while one backtracks to check some of the smaller branches that they skipped. And in the middle, two players hold down a temporary base and act as backup if anyone gets into trouble.


    Hana knew all that. But she also knew she messed up and Cyrus left her to be scolded by her big brother.


    She sighed. "I know I messed up."


    Jinyoung looked at his little sister. Hana was growing into a capable adventurer, but she was still a kid. And it''s hard to be mad at a kid.


    "Okay, then. Where did you mess up?"


    "I should''ve pulled my swing so I didn''t cut into the floor and make all that noise."


    Jinyoung smiled in the dark. "And?"


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    She looked back at him. "There''s more?"


    "Yes, you could''ve been quieter. In fact, cutting its head off would''ve taken less effort and resulted in less noise, but that''s not it. Everyone makes mistakes in the field. That wasn''t the problem."


    Hana was quiet as she thought back. She remembered getting into position and marking her target. Watching for Cyrus'' signal and then making her own move. The weight of her shield as she ran, the resistance when she cut through the monster and then the rattle when her sword tip hit the ground. Then...


    "I froze."


    Jinyoung nodded, knowingly. "You should''ve brought your shield around and gotten back into a ready position. Next time you make a mistake like that, worry less about what just happened and more about what comes next."


    Then she heard it. Or felt it. It was hard to explain, but Hana whirled on her feet and looked back the way the team had come. Back through the darkness. She couldn''t make it out through the inky shadows, but something was there. Watching.


    A voice drifted at the siblings through the darkness. "Well, at least we know your senses work."


    Slowly, Cyrus walked into view thoroughly pleased with himself.


    "Give ''em a break, Cy." From the other end, Johann ambled up the stairs followed by Seah. "You don''t have to worry none, lil'' sister. We''ve cleared loads of dungeons just like this one. Otherwise, we''d have never brought a froshie along."


    Hana looked at Johann questioningly.


    "We''ve been on ride-alongs with other cadets for their tests, too. It''s a tradition. By the time you get to senior status at the academy, anyone worth their salt ''as already been through at least ten dungeons. Normally, we''d have brought along a sophomore, but Jinyoung ''ere was blathering on about wanting to be there for his lil'' sister''s first level-up."


    "My first-"


    Hana¡¯s hand flew up to cover her mouth and she realized what was going on. She quickly activated her status screen and saw it.


    Hana Shin


    No Class - Level 2

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (4)

    Seah''s arms were crossed and she gave Johann a blistering glare.


    "You just had to open your big mouth."


    Meanwhile Hana''s eyes teared up as she realized what a huge landmark she''d achieved. She looked at Jinyoung and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.


    Only half of all students at the Academy would make cadet status. Of those, another half wouldn''t graduate. Most of the students in Hana''s year wouldn''t see the inside of a dungeon for a year or two. And those that did wouldn''t engage in combat for another year still.


    But Jinyoung had overseen Hana''s training himself. And by the time she had entered the Academy, he knew that she was stronger than he was. He was two years older than Hana when he defeated his first monster. But here was Hana. Defeating her first monster at barely 15 and able to point out her own weaknesses. He couldn''t have been prouder.


    "So, what do I do now?"


    When players level up, the system allocates them skill and stat points. Skill points can be used to unlock new abilities or strengthen existing abilities. Stat points are allocated by the system automatically until the players reach level 10. That means at level 10, every player has the same base stat levels.


    STRENGTH: 10      WISDOM: 10


    AGILITY: 10      ENDURANCE: 10


    LUCK: 10


    Once they reach level 10, players are able to join a guild and change their class. This is where players can join the Scholar''s guild to become a mage specializing in healing (White Mage), elemental sorcery (Arcanist), or one of many other specialties. The Fighter¡¯s guild and Rogue¡¯s guilds likewise have their own specialties and separate classes. It''s at this point players can allocate their own stat points to play to their strengths or cover their weaknesses as required. Until level 10, players are locked into the ¡°No Class¡± which has three basic skills: [dash], [scan], and [charge].


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    ¡°Wait, I leveled up after defeating one monster. But Johann said that you¡¯ve all been through tons of dungeons.¡±


    ¡°We have, but every time you level up, it takes more effort to reach the next level.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ what level are you all?¡±


    ¡°Johann hit level 8 last week and he¡¯ll probably end up being level 9 once we finish this dungeon. Seah is at 9?¡± Seah nodded, so Jinyoung continued. ¡°Yeah, 9. Both Cyrus and I have been at 10 since last year.¡±


    Last year? Hana thought.


    Jinyoung saw the look on Hana''s face and explained the reason, ¡°The system locks No Class players at level 10. You need to join a guild to continue to level up.¡±


    Ahem. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt, but we should be moving on.¡± Cyrus motioned down the dark steps to the rest of the dungeon.


    Jinyoung coughed and nodded his head. So did Hana, but even in the dark it was impossible to miss her wide grin.


    Cyrus had found multiple hallways and doorways leading to other parts of the dungeon, but found none of the telltale signs of monsters. While the map the team was provided with was detailed, it only detailed the path of the test itself. Most dungeons hadn''t been fully explored and while they could rely on existing maps and architecture from the old world, some dungeons had been warped resulting in rooms or pathways that previously hadn''t existed. That meant that every unexplored door or hallway could hold dangers which meant they had to be careful.


    Johann had confirmed that they were indeed on the right path and should find the checkpoint in less than an hour if they moved cautiously and carefully.


    "There''s one more set of undead on the floor below us before we get to the checkpoint. But I found something else."


    On their way back, Seah questioned whether Johann should share this with the group. But once they reached the checkpoint, it wouldn''t matter. It''d be obvious to everyone, including little Hana. To not share it with the others would be pointless.


    "This dungeon has a mid-boss."

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (5)

    Hana saw a quick notice.


    Skill point available.


    The Academy¡¯''s lessons had been detailed. The skill point could either be used to unlock a basic No Class Skill now, or saved for later and used on a different class¡¯ skill.


    "Don''t," Jinyoung interrupted her thoughts.


    "I was just curious." Hana looked at the three No Class skills that had unlocked for her at level 2. They were the most basic skills available to every Player. By the time she was Cyrus or Jinyoung''s level, she''d have 10 skill points. It didn''t seem like such a big deal to use three of them now.


    "I know, but you''ll need the skill points later. Guilds and clans ask you how many skill points you have when you apply."


    Of course, she thought. In the early years, players would routinely unlock the No Class Skills. But after a few years, they started looking specifically for players who had all 10 skill points. Then they started only looking at players with 10 skill points.


    "You''ll be fine. Most cadets save their skill points until after graduation. That''s part of the whole program."


    Hana smiled and nodded. After the excitement of the moment passed, Hana settled back into the rhythm of the team''s movement. She''d learned enough at the Academy to know that teamwork was the most important thing inside a dungeon. But Johann''s tone earlier... He wasn''t afraid of the mid-boss. More than likely, the team would see signs of it far before they encountered it. No, his voice wasn''t that of fear. It was a concern.


    The undead were about 80 meters beyond the stairwell, behind a bend in the hallway that would give the team a good opportunity to sneak up and get close to their opponents. And just beyond them were the final set of stairs that would lead them down to the platform proper.


    But the closer they got, the worse the state of the station. The walls were showing signs of degradation and damage. Jinyoung looked back. Peering past Johann, he could barely make out Hana carefully making her way through.


    "Careful. The corruption is thick up here," Cyrus whispered.


    Corruption. Everyone had theories of what caused it, but its effects were plain to see. It caused rot in organic material, driving away organisms and warping plant life in the vicinity. And after prolonged exposure, it could degrade steel and concrete. It appeared most frequently in the immediate area of a break. But in areas like this where the corruption was sporadic, it was a sign that a mid-boss was near.


    The team stacked up at the corner and Seah took up a spot closer to the front. Johann would stay in the rear and provide cover fire while the others moved in for close combat. Hana looked grim but determined while Cyrus... neither he nor Jinyoung had spoken a word to each other since earlier.


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    "Now."


    Seah exploded around the corner and pumped her legs as quickly as she could. The undead were at least 40 meters away and spotted her immediately. She heard Hana sprinting right behind her with Cyrus close as well.


    THWISH!


    An arrow blew past her and buried itself in the closest undead. Seah was close enough to count the five of them. She cut a heavy arc crushing the skull of the first undead who barely had time to put up their sword in defense. Just next to her, Hana took an undead¡¯s sword strike on her shield, deflected it, and smashed through its ribs with the flat of her sword. Seah turned to look for the others when she saw it.


    It must have been returning from a patrol. It was 20 meters out from her current position, far enough that Johann hadn¡¯t spotted it yet either. An undead archer, already drawing back on its bow.


    Shit!


    At this range, the archer would get two or three shots off before anyone got close enough to hit it. If the team was lucky, it would miss one or two of its shots... if they were lucky. She only had one shot.


    Seah planted her lead foot and held her breath. She drew her hand across her thigh, grabbed a dagger and flicked it forward all in one motion. The dagger spun through the air and tracing an almost perfect arc.


    Almost. She realized too late that the dagger wouldn''t hit its mark. And now she was standing still. An easy target.


    Seah saw the undead stretch the bowstring back and watched as the arrow came up, nearly at eye level. That''s when she felt it. It started like a whisper behind her ear. The telltale sign of a skill being activated.


    Jinyoung shifted the weight to the balls of his feet. The mana had already shifted and was ready to propel him faster than any human could possibly move just as he pushed off his feet. He had already drawn his sword back so when the [dash] carried him forward, he was already swinging, cutting straight through the bow, bowstring, and then the undead''s head.


    Seah exhaled. Partly of relief, but mostly out of guilt. She should''ve made that shot and if she had just taken a second longer to aim, she would have.


    Cyrus brought his blade around and cut straight through the remaining undead, scattering its bones across the floor while Johann caught up with the rest of the team.


    ¡°Everyone okay?¡±


    Seah smiled at Jinyoung and nodded. Cyrus looked away.


    ¡°We should move on. The corruption here looks like it¡¯s rotted the columns and-¡±


    As if to answer for itself, the subway columns crumbled. A little at first, then all at once with a roar as the ceiling came crashing down.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    Hana dove forward to avoid being crushed by a ton of cement and steel. Jinyoung moved quickly to secure his sister and then move them both to the next floor down.


    ¡°This way!¡±


    The others quickly made their way to the stairwell while the entire subway station shook until the rumbling finally stopped.


    Johann picked himself up off the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Everyone here?¡±


    Four voices grunted out from the darkness while everyone waited for their eyes to adjust to the gloom. Johann''s eyes were able to pick out the details of their surroundings and confirm they¡¯d made it to the subway platform. Then he looked back at the stairs and confirmed what he already knew.


    The stairs were covered in rubble. It¡¯d take days to clear a way up assuming that the upper floors were still intact.


    ¡°Guys. We have a problem.¡±

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (6)

    It had only been six years since the World Break. As near as people could tell, monsters had been attracted to dense populations of humans. Larger cities and metropolises saw multiple Breaks with hundreds if not thousands of monsters. While further out, smaller towns saw few if any monsters in the initial months.


    But the danger only spread as more and more creatures flooded through and spread like a plague across the land.


    It took years, but players were able to secure safe zones outside the major cities where people could live in peace. And then, they struck back. Mile by mile, they took back what they could and drove the monsters further back into their breaks and into dungeons.


    By defeating more monsters, players unlocked new skills and classes but they also brought back spoils of their adventures. Scales harder than steel, metals from other worlds that could be crafted into weapons¡­ the groundwork for a thriving economy built on taking back the Earth.


    Artisans, engineers, and blacksmiths crafted jewelry, devices, and equipment so that players couldn¡¯t just survive, but thrive in the most dangerous environments.


    Soon it became obvious what resources could be bought and what couldn¡¯t. Gold could buy new armors, enchanted rings, and powerful weapons, but there was no way to return a stat point that had been spent. Or a skill point for that matter.


    Balanced on the knife¡¯s edge, players¡¯ lives depended on every decision they made. The right choice could lead to fame and glory. The wrong one could result in ridicule or death.


    ***


    Johann and Hana scouted the platform. It wasn¡¯t likely that two groups of undead would be this close to each other, but no one was taking any chances. Seah kept an eye out while Jinyoung and Cyrus looked over the map together.


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    She already knew what they knew. There certainly were other paths that would lead back up to the surface, but the dungeon scouts had only given them one path in. That meant they¡¯d have to take an alternate route out. There could be other cave-ins, more corruption, or monsters. Or, there could be worse.


    Seah hated being here. She shuddered at the memory of the last time she was in a station.


    ¡°We¡¯re clear.¡± Hana¡¯s voice interrupted Seah¡¯s thoughts.


    And it was probably for the best. There¡¯s no use in dwelling on worst-case scenarios.


    ¡°Good. Then, we need to find those flags.¡±


    The scouts would have placed the flags in a safe place somewhere on the platform. Out of reach from monsters, but not so well hidden that they couldn¡¯t be found.


    Cyrus moved along the platform, looking for any hidden alcoves while the others checked safety cabinets between gas masks and thermal blankets.


    ¡°I think I have something here.¡± Johann¡¯s eyes had picked out a small cabinet sized door underneath the stairs. Inside was a small room, probably used as a break room by those who worked in the station. And, held together by a length of cloth, four green flags.


    Johann passed the flags around to three pairs of hands. Someone was missing.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Jinyoung?¡±


    A shiver ran down Hana¡¯s spine. Her ears quickened and she tried to scan the platform all at once.


    ¡°No need for all that,¡± Seah whispered softly. ¡°We all know where he went.¡±


    There were few to no signs of corruption in the platform which didn¡¯t jibe with what the team had seen earlier. If it was bad enough to cause a cave-in, then it stood to reason there was a source.


    Eventually, they found it. The platform ran north to south. They¡¯d found the flags in a small room by the southside. And when they reached the northside, they could see the rot on the ceilings and floors. The platform itself was designed with more columns and stronger struts than the upper levels of the platform.


    Jinyoung was standing on the tracks looking forward. Staring into the abyss.


    The subway tunnel on the northside yawned open. Seah could just make out the first 30 or so meters before the black shadows clouded her vision. Johann could probably see a but further, but it was impossible to know exactly what lay beyond the tunnel.


    ¡°The mid-boss,¡± Jinyoung said.

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (7)

    Jinyoung stared down the subway tunnel.


    "We should go for it."


    The team was silent. Hana didn''t realize it, but they''d had this conversation before. More often as their graduation neared.


    Dungeons appeared in a variety of places, but they''re all similar in one respect. They all originate from a break. A point in time and space where monsters pass from another world to this one. The bigger the break, the worse the monsters. Weaker monsters usually make their way through, but they get pushed further from the break while the strongest stay close. That means the monsters get more powerful the further you go in.


    But every rule has an exception. Monsters can grow stronger over time. They can kill players or other monsters and become more powerful themselves. A mid-boss. A monster that is more powerful than the others in its immediate area and commands its own group of weaker monsters. For unprepared teams, it can be a death sentence. But, it allows players to single out and fight stronger monsters.


    Because of their difficulty, cadets and students at the Academy are banned from taking on mid-bosses. The risk was too great.


    "No."


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    Cyrus spoke softly, but his words landed heavily.


    "We do this and Seah and Johann get to graduate at level 10. Just like us. Hana''ll be level 4. Probably level 5 and she''ll be leagues ahead of her classmates. And the two of us will-"


    "No."


    Jinyoung turned his hard gaze at Cyrus. Cyrus stared right back.


    "You know we need this. More than anyone else, I need this."


    Seah and Johann looked away while Hana bit her lip. They knew.


    They knew that Cyrus and Jinyoung were at the top of their year, but tomorrow, it wouldn''t matter.


    The Academy was competitive. It was the top player preparatory program in the country. The waitlist was thousands of names long and there were only 100 graduates every year. In the past, graduates were scouted into guilds. Their fees were covered by sponsors and that head start gave them a chance to succeed in a violent world.


    Things are different now. The number of players has grown and the Academy was a great place to learn, but they had competition. Now, you need one of two things to join a guild: gold or fame. And they had neither.


    As Jinyoung spoke, Cyrus'' expression darkened. More than usual.


    "We do this and we¡¯re the only cadets in the history of the Academy to take out a mid-boss. Heck, we¡¯re the only No Class players to do it ever. It''s an easy dungeon and-"


    Cyrus narrowed his eyes and his voice went cold. "There''s no such thing as an easy dungeon."

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (8)

    He knew he shouldn¡¯t have said it. As the words were coming out of his mouth¡­ he regretted it immediately.


    But Jinyoung knew he was right. Wasn¡¯t he?


    He and Cyrus would be graduating at the top of their class. The top of their class at the Academy. They could be the best in the country. And starting tomorrow, they¡¯d have to start looking for work.


    You needed gold to join a guild. Even the lower-tier guilds required tens of thousands of gold. Most players took on loans or had family money.


    But Jinyoung barely had a ¡°family¡± much less family money. And if he took money from his ¡°father¡±, that¡¯d leave nothing behind for Hana who would graduate in just a few years.


    And a loan came with strings. The last thing you wanted in a world full of violence was strings. But this¡­ This could put them on the map. In a way that would make all the hard work worth it. In a way that would-


    Hana¡¯s voice snapped him back to the present. ¡°Jinyoung.¡±


    She put a reassuring hand on his arm.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    He remembered where he was.


    And who he was with.


    He shook his head at himself.


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    ¡°Your sword,¡± he heard himself say. He pointed at Hana¡¯s short sword. It was Academy issued. A plain short sword, but it¡¯d been chipped when she hit the ground in their first encounter. The chip had grown a few cracks and it was showing clear signs of breakage. ¡°Give it to me and take mine.¡±


    Hana hesitated. She¡¯d noticed the crack earlier, but had stayed silent. She was the only one in the team carrying a sword and shield. But the look in Jinyoung¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t angry, just¡­ tender. She handed her sword to him in exchange for his.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay, Jinyoung?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fine.¡± The words were bitter, but they needed to be true.


    He looked up at Cyrus whose expression was still hard and nodded. The entire team let out the breath they¡¯d been holding.


    ¡°If that¡¯s done, then I think I¡¯ve found a way out.¡±


    The team looked at Johann who held up the map. The scouts had detailed all the main pathways, but not the branching corridors and smaller rooms which would¡¯ve been helpful in finding an alternate route.


    ¡°But they did mark all the doors in the main station as well as the platform.¡± Johann traced a finger to a door on the platform. ¡°This one. We can¡¯t be sure where it goes, but it¡¯s located just below one on the upper floor. And, if we¡¯re lucky¡­¡±


    ¡°Stairs,¡± Hana sighed in relief.


    ***


    The corridors were cramped. There was barely enough space to walk side-by-side without bumping into something so they walked single-file. It felt unsafe. Exposed.


    Johann was right, though. There were stairs. And other hallways. And more stairs.


    More than once they had to backtrack and take a different route that was more or less in the correct heading.


    It was an hour of dreary corridors and pale walls when they saw it.


    A tree. But it was all wrong. The tree was growing out of a concrete wall. There was no soil, nothing for the tree to grow out of.


    And then a few minutes later, the walls slowly gave way to stone and the tiles beneath their feet turned to dirt. This was worse than corruption. This was worse than cave-ins or monsters.


    It was an incursion.

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (9)

    LOADING...


    We all saw it. It was on every screen across the world. A pale gray box with just a single world. It was almost like a joke.


    SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY AT... 98%


    AIOS HAS BEEN LOADED INTO ROOT FRAMEWORK.


    ACCESS... GRANTED.


    LOADING PROTOCOLS...


    COMPLETE.


    The screens flashed more text in a variety of languages. Some were definitely human while others weren''t. The text scrolled faster and faster until we all realized, the text was just on screens anymore. We could see it with our own eyes. As if our brains had been hacked.


    WELCOME TO THE AIOS SYSTEM.


    DEFENSIVE PARAMETERS FAILING.


    FIREWALL RESET INEFFECTIVE.


    WORLDWIDE SERVER RESET IN 5... 4... 3.. 2.. 1..


    GOOD LUCK.


    WORLDWIDE SERVER RESET.


    It''s been six years and we still don''t know what caused it. All around the world, computer systems and electronic devices went crazy and the world failed. Conspiracy theorists thought the millenia would be the end of the world. They were two years late.


    Every single electronic device in the world blinked out and shut off. For the first time in decades, the world was quiet.


    And in that quiet lull, a low rumble. Growing into a deafening roar.


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    In a moment, it sounded like a million thunder bolts crashing all at the same time.


    We called it the World Break.


    Across the planet, tears in space and time connect our world to another. Allowing endless horrors and monsters onto a population that wasn''t ready for it. Millions died within the first day. A billion in the first year. The world as we knew it had ended.


    After the first months, humanity was able to finally use the AIOS System to fight back. And after a year, civilization returned. Small towns at first, then larger cities safe from harm. With safety came curiosity.


    The breaks were the source of monsters, but they also bled energy into the environment and atmosphere. In some cases, they corrupted the environment around them and caused decay and rot. But in others, they pulled the environment from another world into ours. Effectively transforming it into an alien landscape.


    We call it an incursion.


    ***


    They walked through the corridor-now-cafe until they found themselves in an antechamber. Just big enough for them to stand together and look at the map. All the good it did them.


    An incursion was more than just the transformation of the human world into another. It transformed structures, objects, but also architectural elements and designs. Doors would become walls. Halls could become rooms.


    "I have an idea."


    Everyone looked at Johann. "This chamber has three exits aside from the one we entered through. We should split up and scout them out. One man stays behind to act as backup and we all return after 5 minutes."


    "What are we looking for?"


    "The subway station. Or, more specifically, elements of its architecture. Our world."


    Cyrus was relieved. It was a good idea. They''d traveled so far into this incursion, it''d be easy to think they had simply traveled to another world. It stood to reason that all they had to do now was find signs of their world to find their way back.


    Cyrus looked around. "Jinyoung and I will move on our own. Seah, you move with Johann. And Hana, you''ll stay here as back up. Five minutes."


    Cyrus didn''t like the idea of splitting up, but they didn''t have any choice. The longer they stayed in the dungeon, the more likely it was they''d get lost or something else would happen. The most important thing now was to move quickly and get out of the dungeon.


    Normally, he''d ask Seah to stay behind as backup and pair Johann with Hana... but he knew. Six years ago, she''d been south of the city on the subway with her mother during the World Break. Thankfully, there were no monsters where she was at. But the earthquake collapsed the subway tunnel she was in. It was seven days before the survivors were able to get back above ground. Her mother didn''t make it.


    The last thing he wanted to do was leave her behind.


    After five minutes, he found the path he was following narrowing and no signs of human life. Cyrus thought about moving further, but thought against it. Worst comes to worst, they''d have to pair up and move down some of these tunnels together.


    Back at the antechamber, Seah and Johann had better luck. About two minutes into their trek, they were walking on tiling and the rock walls slowly gave way to concrete and plaster. After looking at the map, they agreed that this path would take them to the sub-basement level 1. Probably a maintenance hatch.


    The problem was Jinyoung. He didn''t come back.

 The First Day of the Rest of My Life (10)

    After five minutes, he found the path he was following narrowing and no signs of human life. Cyrus thought about moving further, but fought against it. It was better to be safe than sorry.


    Back at the antechamber, Seah and Johann had better luck. About two minutes into their trek, they were walking on tiling and the rock walls slowly gave way to concrete and plaster. After looking at the map, they agreed that this path would take them to the sub-basement level 1. Probably a maintenance hatch.


    The problem was Jinyoung. He didn''t come back.


    Johann was not pleased. Over the past year, he had come to expect this sort of behavior from Jinyoung. But he was unhappy to do so. And he tended to voice this unhappiness when given the opportunity.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    The tunnel hit a T-junction. Both options looked identical and there was no way to tell which way Jinyoung had gone.


    Johann looked down at the rock face, but it told him nothing in return. ¡°We¡¯ll go left and then return if nothing else.¡±


    It would be the simplest thing to leave him behind and simply move on. Jinyoung was certainly smart enough to find his way out. He had shown just how capable he was in their lessons and previous outings together. He had also deviated from the script and showed how capable he was in finding trouble.


    And at the end of the narrow corridor, Johann was certain they would find Jinyoung. Alive and well. But also, probably trouble.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Cyrus was angry. Blatantly so.


    Jinyoung stood in a large lit antechamber. It looked like it was a town center of sorts, but the buildings were strange. The architecture was human, but it was unfamiliar at the same time. And at its center was what looked to be a black fountain.


    Cyrus stomped towards Jinyoung, clearly angry and clearly forgetting they were still in a dungeon.


    Jinyoung raised his hands and called out, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Cyrus stopped dead in his tracks.


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    ¡°Okay, just step forward. Slowly.¡±


    Cyrus stopped and glared. But Johann¡¯s curiosity overcame him, so he walked to where Cyrus stood and then gingerly closed the gap on Jinyoung. One step at a time.


    PARTICIPANT REGISTERED.


    DIFFICULTY: ????


    TOTAL PARTY: 2 (min: 1)


    ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s some sort of quest,¡± Jinyoung called out.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. Quests like this weren¡¯t common. There were rumors of dungeons holding secrets and treasures, but anyone who had found them was stingy with their experiences.


    ¡°Why the hell would you activate-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. At least, I didn¡¯t mean to. I took a left at the branching paths and it led into a drop. I tumbled out and landed right here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a party count. And a difficulty measure. It¡¯s at four.¡±


    ¡°It was at three before you stepped in.¡±


    Hana looked at their surroundings and, finding nothing, focused on the fountain. ¡°...It¡¯s a shrine. Jinyoung! Can you see anything on it?¡±


    Jinyoung looked closely at the polished black surfaces until he saw some edges catching the light. ¡°Yes, but¡­ it¡¯s definitely not a language I understand.¡±


    ¡°Guys, I think I know what this is.¡±


    Four eyes snapped on Johann. ¡°It¡¯s a shrine. They grant blessings, bonuses, and sometimes more if you can complete a quest.¡±


    ¡°And if you can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind all that,¡± Jinyoung interjected. ¡°Cyrus, I think¡­ we¡¯re in over our heads. You need to get to the proctor and get help.¡±


    Cyrus opened his mouth to respond, but then he unexpectedly paused. Something unspoken was said between Cyrus and Jinyoung that the others didn¡¯t catch.


    Johann started to speak before Cyrus cut him off. ¡°Seah, take Hana and get out of the antechamber. Johann, slowly step back and then go with them.¡±


    ¡°Hana, I need you to be brave, okay?¡± Jinyoung smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for your first dungeon experience to be this exciting.¡±


    Hana tried to protest but Seah shushed her and they moved towards the entrance they came from. Johann hesitated, but turned and without a word headed out of the antechamber.


    They listened to the footsteps fade until it was quiet again.


    ¡°Did the difficulty go down?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    Cyrus waited a moment. ¡°But there¡¯s something you didn¡¯t say. Something you didn¡¯t want to tell Hana.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ the timer is still ticking down.¡±


    ¡°How much time do you have?¡±


    ¡°Not enough for the proctor to get here.¡±


    Quiet again.


    ¡°Cyrus, I need you to¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Hana. And Seah.¡±


    ¡°Good. Not long now. Good luck-¡±

 The Black SHRINE (1)

    The world flashed white, blinding Jinyoung. When he could finally see again, he was alone. There was no horizon and there was no ceiling.


    The black shrine was still there. More of its text in some unfamiliar script was visible and it glowed weakly.


    QUEST: The PATH of the STARS


    OBJECTIVE: Complete one of the following:


    - 500 Perfect Dodges or,


    - 50 Perfect Parries.


    REWARD: 1 CLASS SKILL point


    Dodges and Parries were part of every cadet¡¯s training. They required precise timing and, when performed properly, they left your enemies open for counterattack. But Perfect ones were practically unheard of. They required perfect reflexes and knowledge of your opponent. Enough so that you could predict their movements.


    Summoning¡­ GOLEM.


    From nonexistent rubble, a large humanoid golem rose up roughly twice Jinyoung¡¯s height.


    ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    Cadets started training against golems at the Academy in their first year. Elemental mages could summon them relatively easily and dispel them if needed. Most first years started off against clay golems. They moved slowly and were susceptible to most physical weapons.


    The wood golems were weak against blunted weapons which tripped up anyone who hadn¡¯t faced them before. Most third-year or senior cadets faced off against a few of them. They were difficult at first, but it was simple once you overwhelmed them with numbers.


    But Jinyoung was facing a stone golem. And a big one.


    GOOD LUCK.


    For something so massive and heavy, the golem moved quickly. It swung its tree-trunk limbs like battering rams. Jinyoung dodged the first one, but it left him off-balance. He saw the next blow before he felt it. But he definitely felt it.


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    It was barely a glancing blow, but the impact knocked him off his feet and sent him tumbling. By the time he stopped himself, he was 10 feet away from the golem.


    The golem righted itself. Turned its body and slowly lumbered its way toward Jinyoung.


    He only had the shortsword the Academy had outfitted him with, but assuming he could properly parry an attack, it wouldn¡¯t matter what kind of weapon he had. At least with a parry, he could deflect some of the momentum coming his way. With a dodge, if he screwed up the timing he¡¯d end up taking another glancing blow. Not to mention, 50 was better than 500.


    ¡°Parries, it is.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t speaking to anyone in particular. Certainly not the stone golem which slowly stepped towards him purposefully. Unnervingly.


    Once it had gotten close enough, it pulled its massive fist back and swung a boulder-sized fist at Jinyoung. His sword came up quick and with a CLANGGG!! Jinyoung was able to deflect the blow away from him. Just as quickly, the golem carried its momentum through and brought its other fist around.


    Gotta get the timing right.


    This time, it wasn¡¯t a clean clang but a horrible SCREECH! Like the sound of steel being dragged across the pavement.


    Before the golem could make its next attack, Jinyoung [dashed] away, putting some distance between himself and the monster.


    Jinyoung had misjudged the timing. The golem takes a second to wind up for the first strike which gives him enough time to figure out how to parry the strike. But he tried to parry the second strike the same way and..


    He looked at Hana¡¯s damaged short sword. It hadn¡¯t been in the best condition to begin with. But now, it looked like it had been put through the shredder. He had maybe four more shots with the sword before it gave out completely.


    Perfect Parries: 1/50


    Perfect Dodges: 0/500


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    ***


    Once word reached the Academy, the proctor was joined by four other players including instructors. They moved quickly through the abandoned subway station until they reached the incursion.


    When the cadets first reached him, he was a bit disappointed. He expected them to finish within an hour or two, but it¡¯d been nearly half a day. That was when he realized their number. Then the looks on their faces.


    The presence of a mid-boss was one thing, but an incursion was another entirely. They taught the students at the Academy what incursions were, but it was all theory. Some players had gone their whole lives without encountering one. And those who did, learned to avoid them.


    But this thing that they¡¯d found in the depths of the incursion. That was something else altogether.


    Shrines weren¡¯t uncommon in dungeons. Players who were lucky enough to come across them received a blessing. This could be healing, extra strength or bonus abilities for a limited time. With the right shrine bonus, even cadets could clear a dungeon.


    The proctor laid his eyes on the obelisk and knew immediately. This wasn¡¯t a shrine.

 The Black SHRINE (2)

    Johann picked up on it faster than the others. When they finally reached the entrance to the dungeon, Hana tried explaining what happened to the proctor, but she was a mess. Overcome with worry for her brother. Seah calmed her and explained in detail what had happened and what they¡¯d seen.


    At first, the proctor listened with concern. The cave-in. The argument about the mid-boss. Then, Seah told him about the incursion. And finally, the shrine. It only flashed across his face for a moment before he masked it, but Johann saw it. Fear.


    Now they were back where they had left Cyrus and Jinyoung. Jinyoung was gone and Cyrus¡¯ only explanation was the flash of light from the shrine itself which was dull now. Only a few symbols etched onto its surface were visible.


    ¡°Damn you, Cyrus! You were the team leader!¡±


    Hana was jabbing her finger at Cyrus who could only look away.


    ¡°You were supposed to take care of us! You were supposed to take care of him!¡±


    They all felt the weight of those words. But the proctor knew better.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that. He did what he could and probably saved all your lives.¡± The proctor had seen this before. Grief drove blame. And blame fed guilt.


    ¡°Maybe if we had stayed together¡­¡± Seah started.


    ¡°Then you¡¯d all be dead,¡± the proctor stated firmly. ¡°We know what this is. And we know what it does. Frankly, if it weren¡¯t for your team leader here, you¡¯d all be dead.¡±


    ***


    SCREECHHH!!


    The golem swung wide, but Jinyoung didn¡¯t have enough time to bring the sword up to parry the blow. He could see chips of the sword-edge breaking off so he immediately [dashed]forward and between the golem¡¯s legs.


    He moved quickly and put some distance between them so he could catch his breath.


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    Perfect Parries: 5/50


    Perfect Dodges: 5/500


    The stone golem stumbled. Parrying against an opponent that didn¡¯t have a weapon had the added bonus of causing it damage. It¡¯d been hours, but he¡¯d dealt enough damage to it so that over time it had lost its ability to defend itself. And, in the process, he¡¯d had to use his [dash] to avoid strikes which had inadvertently triggered some perfect dodges as well.


    QUEST: The PATH of the STARS


    OBJECTIVE: Complete one of the following:


    - 500 Perfect Dodges or,


    - 50 Perfect Parries.


    REWARD: 1 CLASS SKILL point (computing error¡­)


    It¡¯d be funny if it weren¡¯t so sad, Jinyoung thought to himself.


    To his benefit, Jinyoung had learned much during his hours in the quest. He knew that the golem had a set attack pattern that it always followed. The first strike was always telegraphed, while the second one came in at the same angle. Then a slight pause before the golem finished with a downward strike.


    The golem walked closer still and wobbled a bit once it was in range. It drew back and¡­


    CLANGGG! The first strike was perfectly parried.


    FWISH! Jinyoung used [dash] to dodge the second blow which came in at an angle too difficult to parry.


    And finally, CLANGGG! Jinyoung parried the last blow which staggered the golem.


    Everything exactly as he had planned. Except for one thing. After the final parry, the golem was sent off-balance. It staggered for a moment before righting itself and approaching Jinyoung.


    It hadn¡¯t staggered before. Before whenever Jinyoung was able to parry an attack, the golem would be knocked off-balance but immediately recover. But that could only mean-


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken damage, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Of course the golem didn¡¯t respond. It couldn¡¯t. But the stones that held together its body were sagging and the limbs looked looser. It was losing control over its physical form. It was very nearly dead.


    The realization struck Jinyoung in his tracks. Quests had a success metric, but also failure metrics. Completing the quest successfully meant that he would receive the rewards but if he failed?


    Then the quest would end.

 The Black SHRINE (3)

    Every class had unique skills. Sword Knights could strengthen their weapons or increase the range of their attacks while Red Knights could cast simple spells allowing them to attack opponents from a distance while also imbuing their weapons with arcane power. Even players with No Class had access to three skills.


    But, no one unlocked the No Class skills. They were designed to help low-level players survive in the world. [Scan] allowed them to see the status of items, monsters, and provide more information about the world around them. [Charge] powered up the player¡¯s next attack in exchange for a speed reduction. And [dash] allowed almost instantaneous movement across a short distance.


    But they were, as people found out, almost redundant in the long run. Fighters could permanently increase their strength for multiple attacks while Hunters could gain enhanced vision at night. And [dash] was unnecessary, especially when Scholars could teleport and Assassins could disappear into the shadows.


    Rather than spend a precious and limited skill point on the No Class skills, it was better to save those points for much more effective skills in the long run.


    ***


    Perfect Parries: 10/50


    Perfect Dodges: 8/500


    CRUNCH!!


    The golem staggered back and without hesitation, Jinyoung moved in and took three swipes with his short sword. Instead of the body or limbs, he aimed for the joints which weren¡¯t solid stone.


    By this point, the short sword was dented and battered. Any sharpness was dulled by the repeatedly beating on what was essentially a walking stone wall. Instead of parrying attacks from the golem, Jinyoung had taken to dodging the strikes and counter attacking with his sword.


    He [dashed] and jogged a bit further for good measure. The golem was having trouble turning around and following. The damage was plain.


    But Jinyoung was far beyond his limits. There was no way of telling how much time had passed, but his body felt like lead. His mind was exhausted and he was barely holding it together, but he was close. He could feel it. He looked down at his sword which was battered and beaten.


    Just a little longer.


    The golem swung in close.


    FWISH! Jinyoung [dashed] out of the way.


    PERFECT DODGE


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    ¡°Like it matters,¡± he whispered under his breath.


    The golem swung twice more and then launched a straight punch that hit nothing but air.


    Jinyoung was on it immediately, swinging his sword and doing as much damage as possible. He was close, he could feel it. And with one final upward slash, the golem fell back and shattered when it hit the ground.


    GOLEM defeated. 50 EXP gained.


    He couldn¡¯t believe it. He¡¯d never even faced a stone golem before and yet, he¡¯d defeated it. Alone.


    He looked back at the short sword and saw that only a sliver of the ¡°blade¡± remained. The rest had broken off on his final strikes. He considered throwing it away, but thought better of it.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a nice keepsake.¡±


    He took a look at his surroundings and noticed the black shrine shining bright. It beckoned him closer. Until now, it had simply glimmered, but now it could have lit up the night sky. When he got closer, he saw a notification symbol hovering above the shrine.


    HEAL?


    O  X


    He responded in the positive and was surprised to immediately be healed of all his wounds and injuries. He felt lighter and healthier than he had in days. And the sword was repaired. Well, nearly repaired. He realized it had been returned to its former state when he first entered the quest. The telltale crack and chip from Hana¡¯s earlier battles still showed on the sword tip.


    Jinyoung took a breath. He was finally done. It would¡¯ve been nice to get the skill point, but he¡¯d much rather be leaving with his life.


    ***


    The player Seah was talking to was confident that Jinyoung would reappear soon. Regardless of what happened, quests rarely lasted longer than a week. Two at most. Once the quest was completed, Jinyoung would reappear.


    Seah was relieved. In part for Hana, but also for herself. The entire team had taken turns keeping watch while the proctor and other established players came and went. The longer they waited, the worse it was.


    After the first day, the Academy had sent multiple players to clear the immediate area and create a perimeter. The cadets were interviewed individually and together as a team. And now, they were all back at the dungeon. Waiting.


    Cyrus watched the proctor who was in a hushed conversation with two others. He recognized one as a professor from the Academy, but the other was different. He was dressed in fine robes and carried himself with pride. The man looked back at the shrine and then shook head.


    After a pause, the proctor returned to the team. Johann and Hana started a barrage of questions, but the proctor calmly raised his hand.


    ¡°First thing¡¯s first, the three cadets will be given high honors and now considered to be graduates of the Academy.¡±


    Three?


    ¡°Student Hana Kim, you¡¯ll be raised to the classification of cadet and placed in upper training courses immediately. For the time being, you will all leave this dungeon while-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving until my brother returns!¡±


    The proctor looked at Hana with sad eyes. ¡°We will stay for now and the academy will be posting a watch here, but the chances of your brother returning to us alive are slim.¡±


    The team registered this information with a stunned silence.


    The proctor took a breath.


    "Recently, word has spread of a new structure in the dungeons. They resemble shrines, but are black and obsidian in appearance. Black shrines.


    They appear randomly in dungeons and offer high-reward quests to players. Once a team accepts, the structure remains until the quest ends after which it disappears.


    The problem is the reward structure. Reports are rare, but there¡¯s one thing that each of the black shrine quests had in common. There is no failure condition.¡±


    ***


    Inside the quest, Jinyoung felt a low rumble. He turned around to the rubble of the stone golem he had just defeated, slowly standing up.


    Summoning¡­ GOLEM.

 The Black SHRINE (4)

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Hana looked around at the others. ¡°So what if there¡¯s no failure condition?¡±


    Seah broke the long silence that followed. ¡°You said the Guild Master knew of a team that survived one of these.¡±


    The proctor nodded.


    ¡°A team of 5 experienced players encountered one of these shrines near the end of a dungeon. The quest required 50 red goblins be defeated with critical hits. And, just like in this case, it had no failure condition set.¡±


    Red goblins were smaller monsters. They were crafty, but by no means impossible to defeat, especially by a full party of experienced players.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but again, there was no failure condition.¡±


    Hana spoke up. ¡°You keep saying that, but what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°That means there¡¯s no way to end the quest early. You either finish the quest, or¡­¡±


    The proctor didn¡¯t finish the sentence, but everyone already knew what that meant.


    The experienced team had entered the black shrine with full provisions. Under normal circumstances, that would have given them about a week inside a dungeon. But under the duress of a constant onslaught by red goblins, they had run through half their provisions in three days. And after a week, two players were dead. The quest was completed after three weeks. Three players died in the quest while one succumbed to their injuries after.


    They all felt sick. Johann stumbled away from the group and retched. Seah stood in stunned silence while Cyrus stood there, trying to come to grips with the gravity of the situation.


    ***


    GOLEM defeated. 50 EXP gained.


    Jinyoung lay on the ground. Battered. As far as he could tell, it¡¯d been weeks and he¡¯d defeated the golem hundreds of times. Once he accepted the shrine¡¯s offer to heal his wounds, it would summon the golem again.


    He thought back to one of his earlier attempts. It was his fifth time defeating the golem and the shrine¡¯s notification appeared as it always did and has done since. On a whim, he chose to refuse the shrine¡¯s offer.


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    Maybe, he thought.


    But, of course, no. The black shrine simply summoned the golem and Jinyoung had to fight it, carrying over his injuries and exhaustion from the previous fight. It¡¯d nearly killed him.


    But the experience was a crucial one. It was a step in testing the boundaries of the quest and just one of the many things he learned about the shrine.


    For one thing, time passed just as it did in the real world. His hair had grown cumbersomely long more than once, requiring him to do his best job cutting it with the damaged short sword. Shaving was worse and was best attempted right before healing at the shrine.


    And healing at the shrine didn¡¯t just cure his injuries, it refreshed him and cured him of any hunger or exhaustion he felt at the time. Then, there was the time between battles. He learned that as long as he didn¡¯t accept or deny the shrine¡¯s offer for healing, the golem didn¡¯t respawn. He could spend that time resting or sleeping. Sometimes he went for walks toward the endless horizon until he turned around and returned.


    But his most important discovery was about himself. Defeating the golem netted 50 EXP, but having maxed out at level 10, he could not gain any more levels unless he had a class. And it was impossible to enter a class while he was stranded in this quest. So, in an effort to increase his chances of survival, he unlocked the final two No Class skills: [charge] and [scan].


    [Charge] allowed him to defeat the golem faster if he felt the need to rest or heal from injuries. But [scan] was the biggest tool in his arsenal. By activating the [scan] skill, he could see when the golem was going to attack and how. That allowed him to parry or dodge the attacks more easily. Of course, it wasn¡¯t perfect. Somewhere around his fortieth attempt, he mistimed a parry and nearly died from a direct attack. After that, he realized it was easier and safer to [dash] at the last minute for a perfect dodge rather than risk death from attempting to parry an overpowered attack.


    Perfect Parries: 21/50


    Perfect Dodges: 396/500


    Jinyoung was surprised. He hadn¡¯t checked his quest progress in days (maybe weeks?) so he hadn¡¯t realized how far along he was. He spent his time mindlessly fighting and resting as required in order to progress.


    For a while, he tried to focus on finding ways around the quest to escape. Then, he studied the golem and unlocked his skills so he could min/max his way to success. And now, when he was losing that momentum, he realized just how close he was to getting out. To seeing his family again.


    He thought of Cyrus and Seah often. Johann, too. But he spent the bulk of his time worried about Hana. It felt like only yesterday he was preparing her for her first dungeon. Drilling her about safety measures and making sure she had tightened the straps of her shield. Was she okay? Did Seah and Cyrus make it out of the dungeon? Did Johann ever stop speaking out of turn?


    The questions and doubts ate at him. Now, more than the stone golem, it was the doubts and lack of answers that tired him. But he was making progress. Each battle allowed him to take a few steps closer to escape. The last thing he remembered before he fell asleep was thinking about his plans for after graduation.


    Exploring the world with his friends and becoming a hero like he¡¯d always dreamed.

 The Black SHRINE (5)

    I should pull back. Pushing myself like this is only going to get myself killed.


    The golem stepped forward and brought its stone fist crashing down. Jinyoung held his ground until the last millisecond and used [dash]. He moved out of the way and held up his hand to protect against the force of the shockwave. His sword was chipped to the core and his eyes burned from being held open so long.


    The golem slowly turned around and Jinyoung¡¯s [scan] told him that another attack was coming (obviously). Normally, he¡¯d have killed the golem and used the black shrine to heal, but he was so close he could taste it. He was nearly free.


    Just one more.


    Again, the golem raised his arm and brought it down. And just like he always had, Jinyoung held his breath. Waited until the last second and then¡­ [dash]!


    The golem froze. And then it seemed to waver a bit before it collapsed back into rubble.


    QUEST COMPLETE.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Jinyoung croaked. It felt like ages since he¡¯d spoken. Even to himself.


    QUEST: The PATH of the STARS


    Objective: Complete one of the following:


    500 Perfect Dodges (COMPLETED) or,


    50 Perfect Parries.


    Reward: 1 CLA-S SK-LL point


    Something was wrong. The reward condition had broken text.


    ¡°What is that-¡±


    ERROR 0402K. VARIABLE not found. Processing¡­


    Loading¡­ OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES boot :: checkpoint not available


    || Reboot imminent ||


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The dull white landscape glowed a concerning red.


    MEMORY dump¡­ ACCESS DENIED.


    Attempting reboot¡­ ACCESS DENIED.


    <root> directory checkpoint¡­ FAILED.


    The text went on and on until the panic in Jinyoung¡¯s chest grew and grew. Whatever this was, it wasn¡¯t good. The quest was simple enough and he¡¯d never heard of any cases of a system error like this. Or any error actually.


    Error limit (10). System will reset QUEST once error limit is reached.


    WHAT!?


    <root> access¡­ ACCESS DENIED. Error (1)


    accessing security protocols¡­ ACCESS DENIED. Error (2)


    accessing UID protocols¡­ ACCESS DENIED. Error (3)


    accessing <class> directory¡­ GRANTED.


    ¡­generating new variable¡­ ACCESS GRANTED.


    The system blinked. Jinyoung awaited his fate. Whatever this was, it was better than dying at the hands of the golem.


    NOTICE: QUEST COMPLETED.


    PLAYER does not have variable=CLASS.


    1 CLASS SKILL point cannot be granted to PLAYER.


    PLAYER will be granted variable=CLASS.


    Accept


    ¡°The system can¡¯t give me a class skill point because I don¡¯t have a class. So, it¡¯s giving me a class?¡± It strained his mind to believe that the system would be giving him a class for free, but he had to assume that it didn¡¯t have a choice. The notice didn¡¯t even give him an option to say no.


    ¡°Fine, if it gets me out of here.¡±


    ***


    The light was blinding. Just like it had been when the black shrine had first taken him. But slowly the light faded and¡­ he almost didn¡¯t recognize where he was. It took Jinyoung a second to realize that he was still in the antechamber of the dungeon, but the sky was directly overhead. The ruins that he¡¯d seen before were replaced with newer structures and a steady stream of people were walking around him. People who were now stopping to stare and this man who had suddenly appeared.


    Jinyoung took a step forward and immediately fell forward. He looked down to see a plaque that read:


    In Memory of the players lost in Defense of Humanity


    Next to it, someone had scrawled something almost unintelligible.


    As Jinyoung stood in the center of the square, the crowd watched in wonder as the black shrine faded and then disappeared completely.


    ¡°Shit. It¡¯s him.¡±

 The Black SHRINE (6)

    At one time, everyone had heard of the Shield Knight of the Blade. She had been a prodigy from a young age and by the time she was 20, she was matching levels with her peers. As a shield knight, she had access to skills and abilities that allowed her to protect herself and her allies. Rumors spread about how she had rescued a team on the brink of death in a dungeon by herself.


    On top of all that, her skills with a sword were renowned. Shield knights were famous for using shields as defensive equipment as well as offensive weapons, but she was known to be exceptionally talented with a sword. If she had access to sword skills as well, she might''ve been legendary herself. But, as it does for most, fame fades.


    Guilds started focusing on speed instead of safety. That meant players with offensive skills to decimate opponents quicker rather than defensive skills which might be safer, but could draw out battles. The spotlight switched to other players focused on power and aggression while less concerned with team synergy and safety.


    Hana sighed. Sometimes she missed the days of chasing fame and glory, but those moments of nostalgia were short lived. Her last dungeon runs had been hectic affairs, trying to balance team safety with speed. Maximizing profits while minimizing costs. She hated it.


    That was when Johann reached out. It''d been over a decade since they''d last spoken. Over 10 years since...


    They rarely spoke of the others. Or of the past. Even the cadets noticed that often as not, the two instructors spent a lot of time around each other in silence.


    She flexed her hand. In her youth, she thought she¡¯d pulled a muscle in a dungeon. Rather than leave, she fought through the pain and finished her quest with her team. It wasn¡¯t until much later a doctor explained the damage to her nerves. It had healed over time, but it was an important lesson. One that she had never needed repeating. But maybe, it was time to get over the past and look to the future. Maybe it was time to fight. Or at least, find a reason to fight.


    Memories floated to the surface of her thoughts, unbidden. For a time, she would visit the shrine every day. Then every week. And finally, now, she preferred to wait for cadets outside the station. She liked seeing them emerge from the steps, excited for their next steps in life. It reminded her of how excited she had been when she was younger.


    But, today was different. The cadets were more subdued, whispering excitedly to each other.


    Hana blinked. While her mind wandered, the cadets had returned from the dungeon, flags in hand. For the most part, this dungeon had been heavily cleared. The opening sections were home to merchants and outfitters. Even a healer had set up shop in the antechamber where her brother had disappeared so long ago.


    "You¡¯re all awfully quiet for a team who just completed their first dungeon solo," she called out.


    "Oh, right."


    That was a strange reaction. Much less enthused than cadets usually are to be finished with their training from the Academy. Their expressions were still that of excitement, but there was something else. They were distracted.


    "Did something happen in the dungeon?" Hana asked as she collected the flags. All there. All completed.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    They hesitated. Of course they had heard the stories of the missing player. Hunting for clues and studying the black shrine was a rite of passage at the Academy. Students passed notes in classes and attempted to decipher the symbols on the shrine itself. "Onion Knight", they had surmised. And when cadets learned that two instructors had been there when it appeared, word spread like wildfire.


    The cadets were silent for a moment longer. Finally, one spoke up.


    "You won''t believe it. But the Onion Knight is back."


    ***


    It was the summer of his twelfth birthday. His father was home, in Los Angeles. Originally, the three of them were supposed to travel to Seoul together but plans had changed. Some new business merger had required him to remain in California. So, instead, Jinyoung and his mother had flown all the way to Korea on their own for the summer.


    Jinyoung had been on the bus with his mother. They sat in the back and, unbeknownst to him at the time, Hana and her parents were seated two rows in front of them. Jinyoung was returning to his grandmother¡¯s house after visiting his uncle when he saw it. In the sky. It looked like fireworks. He marveled at the colors and pointed it out to his mother.


    He hadn¡¯t thought of his mother in years. He tried not to. Even less of his father. Instead, he did his best to adjust to life after the World Break. But between battles with the stone golem, he admitted to himself that he was afraid to think of them. To think of all that he had lost.


    So he had focused on what was in front of him. Jinyoung had dreamed of finally escaping the endless horizon and getting away from the black shrine that had haunted his waking moments. He wanted to see Hana. The man she called father. His friends. He wanted to finally make his mark on the world.


    But this¡­ this was a nightmare.


    ¡°Jinyoung.¡±


    He stared at Hana in disbelief. At first, he could see her. The 15-year old who was slowly becoming confident in her abilities. He had just taught her how to defend with a shield and counterattack with the short sword. Then he blinked.


    And the woman who stood before him was¡­


    Words failed him. He closed his eyes and held them closed while he took a breath.


    ¡°How¡­¡± He tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse. ¡°How long?¡±


    The healer had warned Hana about this. He¡¯d tried to prepare her for what she was about to see, but nothing could have prepared her for this. Her missing brother, back.


    She had spent her youth chasing her dreams and trying to make something of herself. Something Jinyoung could be proud of. And when that dream fell far away, she retreated from the world; biding her time. Now, she felt ready again. Ready to take her well-earned experience and build herself back up again. The energy of youth hadn¡¯t left her, not fully. She could feel herself getting older and wasn¡¯t thrilled to be seeing grays in her once jet-black hair, but¡­


    Jinyoung had barely aged. He didn¡¯t look much older than the cadets who had led her here. Hana had battled monsters. She had seen the horrors of the dark. She had buried friends and allies. But she had never prepared herself for this. In some small corner of her heart, she¡¯d always held on to hope, but this?


    ¡°Hana, how long has it been?¡±


    That was all it took. The tears came fast and waves of rage, sadness and shame crashed on Hana¡¯s heart. This was never how it was meant to happen. This was a curse. Or it wasn¡¯t real. It had to be a dream. She needed to wake up now and be 15 again. This was wrong. This was unfair. This was-


    Jinyoung took his sister¡¯s hands in his own and looked her in the eyes. She struggled at first, but eventually met his gaze.


    ¡°Hana, how long have I been gone?¡±


    Hana tasted the words on her lips. The bitterness of it. And when she spoke, it was barely above a whisper.


    ¡°It¡¯s been 20 years.¡±

 Authors Note: Home, Never Home

    One of the hardest parts about growing up is what you leave behind.


    It''s a bit depressing, but it''s true.


    I''m staring down the barrel at 40 and I can say that things (at least for me) have on the whole been much better as I get older. My twenties were full of uncertainties and stress as I tried to make my way in the world. The number of interactions I wished I could redo or the opportunities I missed out on are, in a word, numerous.


    The mistakes in my thirties were no less in number (which is a bit disappointing), but in most cases I knew what I was doing. At the very least, I knew there was a risk and I took it. And even if it didn''t work out in my favor, I can look back and understand why I quit one job for another. Or why I decided to spend money on a vacation that I (maybe, in hindsight) should not have.


    But in the midst of it all, I lost a bit of spontaneity and a lot of foolishness. I''m much less likely to spend money on a big purchase unless I''m absolutely certain of my decision and much less likely to waste money on things that I ultimately don''t need or won''t get much use out of. And while that''s great on the whole, it does mean I miss out on learning from my mistakes and the occasional realization that some mistakes aren''t mistakes at all. I count skinny jeans in that camp (not super skinny, mind you).


    My entire childhood was spent no more than 30 minutes from the coasts of California. And while university was a transitory time, I never imagined I''d find myself living half-way around the globe hours away from any beach.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    And that came with its own trade-offs. I traded what would''ve been a youth surrounded by friends and family I''d known all my life for one full of exploration and getting lost in translation. I didn''t realize it at the time, but each day spent wandering foreign lands (in the literal sense) was another one that I wouldn''t be spending at "home".


    Then, of course, wonders of wonders... the foreign lands become your home.


    From here on in, the reality of the story settles in. Jinyoung has returned home to find that nothing is the way it was when he left. He''ll struggle to make sense of the world, the people, and even his friends. The ones that are still around, that is.


    I find it important to think not just about what this experience has done to Jinyoung, but what it¡¯s done to those around him. How his return has affected others. And how it will continue to affect them as the story goes on.


    To some, Jinyoung will represent a fulfilled hope. A miracle that they''d long since given up on. But to others, he''ll represent how far they''ve come and what they''ve lost along the way.


    It¡¯s interesting when you go through your old belongings and find something that reminds you of the person you were. It¡¯s another thing altogether for that reminder to be a living, breathing person.


    If you¡¯ve enjoyed the story so far, or if you have any comments. Please leave them and I promise I¡¯ll respond to all of them (eventually). I¡¯ve never written a story like this before (much less published it online for others to read) so I¡¯d appreciate any feedback I can get.


    Thank you all for your patronage and I hope you enjoy the story to come.

 Start Over (1)

    In Jinyoung''s time, the Player Society was a community center. As much as it was a resource for experienced and inexperienced players, it was also where non-player citizens went to request help or settle disputes. The Society had no official authority, but they were made up of volunteers who worked to restore balance after the World Break.


    But now, judging by the guards and the jail cell Jinyoung found himself in, things had changed.


    Jinyoung and Hana only had a few minutes together before five heavily armed players "requested" Jinyoung make himself available to the Player Society for questioning.


    The four guards dressed head-to-toe in full armor made it feel like less of a request. Noticing that each guard had a hand on a sheathed (but could be unsheathed at a moment¡¯s notice) weapon spoke volumes.


    And before Hana could interrupt, one of the guards placed a hand on Jinyoung''s shoulder and [teleported] them directly to a cell. The guards quickly and efficiently removed Jinyoung¡¯s armor and relieved him of his weapon before leaving him alone in the cell without a word.


    "Welcome home, huh?"


    The cell was wide enough to lie down in, but just barely. The concrete walls had no windows and the only way in was through a set of bars with no hinges, lock or door. A small bulb overheard provided just enough light to illuminate the "room".


    The black shrine hadn''t been much different. The "sky" had clouds that never moved, a light source that illuminated the environment but never set, and a horizon line that never shifted. While Jinyoung wasn''t thrilled to be in yet another prison, he was glad for the change in environment.


    The reunion with Hana hadn¡¯t gone at all like Jinyoung had expected. His mind reeled with the revelation that while he was in the dungeon, 20 years had gone by. Though he tried not to think about it, he realized that Hana was now far older than he was. She had to be 35 or near it. Cyrus, Johann and Seah would all be nearly 40 years old. Almost twice his own age now.


    He lay on the hard floor and tried his best to focus on his current surroundings. In the black shrine, he''d fallen into the habit of exploring his status menu and imagining what it''d be like to be at a higher level. To allocate stat and skill points into imaginary abilities and unlock new ones. It was a habit, one that he fell back on again.


    JINYOUNG KIM


    Novice CLASS - Level 11


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    Jinyoung sprang up so quickly he nearly jumped into the walls of the cell.


    "H-How...?"


    Players with No Class were locked to a cap of level 10. In order to level up, he needed to have joined a guild to be assigned a class. Between leaving the dungeon and meeting Hana, he''d barely spoken to anyone, least of all a Guild Master. So, how...?


    The quest.


    The last thing that happened before Jinyoung was freed from his endless prison was the system message stating he was to be given a class.


    ¡°Novice class,¡± he whispered to no one.


    That was peculiar. And unheard of. Of course, he¡¯d never heard of a black shrine either, so who was to say this wasn¡¯t something amazing?


    Excitedly, he expanded the menu. Upon each level up, players were given 5 stat points and 1 skill point to allocate however they wished. Without knowing anything about this ¡°Novice¡± class, there was no way to know where to distribute his stat points. But the class would have opened new skills for him to unlock. But when he navigated his way to the skills menu, his excitement quickly faded.


    [DASH] [CHARGE] [SCAN]


    These were the No Class skills. There were no other submenus or options to show that Jinyoung had received any new skills.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± he mumbled. Jinyoung could feel his hopes crumbling around his feet. ¡°What the goddamned hell.¡±


    His frustration was worse when he realized that not only had he not received any new skills, he hadn¡¯t even received a skill point. Whatever this class was, it was looking worse and worse. And what little of his hopes that remained were dashed when he looked at his stats menu.


    Each time a player levels up, they are given 5 stat points. For the first 10 levels, the system allocates the points automatically. It allows for balanced growth, but most players consider it to be the training wheels stage of their career. Once they¡¯ve reached level 11, players allocate the points according to their specialties. Warriors increase their Strength while magic-users may focus on Wisdom. Even more important are high-level skills which can require high amounts of specific stats to be controlled or activated properly.


    But instead of seeing 5 stat points to allocate on his own in the stats menu, Jinyoung was greeted with another sight.


    STRENGTH: 11


    WISDOM: 11


    AGILITY: 11


    LUCK: 11


    ENDURANCE: 11


    Each of his stats had increased by 1. Over the course of his life, Jinyoung had lost his family, faced an uncertain future, and been trapped inside a hellscape occupied only by a monster whose sole purpose was to kill him. And yet, somehow, this was worse.


    ¡°What in the mother-!¡±


    ¡°Language!¡± the guard shouted. He had appeared out of nowhere and began unlocking the cell door. Apparently, Jinyoung¡¯s time in this prison had come to an end. He was only glad that it hadn¡¯t lasted as long as his previous sentence.


    ¡°Come on, Onion Knight. You made bail.¡±

 Start Over (2)

    Seeing the Player Society abduct her brother had pissed Hana off, but it hadn¡¯t surprised her. The Society had their noses in everything and it made sense that they would quarantine Jinyoung until they knew whether or not he was a threat.


    Like any bureaucracy, the Society wasn¡¯t as much an organization aimed at creating change as it was a bog of forms and applications. It had evolved from its early days as a grassroots organization into a hulking behemoth of referrals and citations.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the guards who stayed behind with Hana to realize they needed to send her up the chain of command or deal with her wrath on their own. As an instructor, it had been years since Hana had gone into battle, but her posture spoke of years of experience. Experience that the guards didn¡¯t want to deal with. Not when they were so low on the totem pole. So they sent her to a case officer who referred her to a team lead who referred her other cogs in the machine. It was somewhere between an executive assistant and an assistant executive that Hana¡¯s patience wore thin. Instead of reaching across the table and grabbing the bureaucrat by the throat, she politely excused herself and stepped outside.


    The Player Society used to be housed in a two-story brick complex that had been rebuilt after being partially destroyed during an outbreak. Now, the complex was 30-stories tall and the exterior was a smooth, almost crystalline finish. The underground floors reached far down into the earth and included research centers, training halls, and, of course, holding cells.


    Hana was tempted to go home and return with her shield so she could shatter the bright, shining windows. She was still imagining just how much effort it might take to bring down the building when the other woman opened the doors and approached her.


    "Ever the petulant child."


    Hana bristled at the sound of her voice.


    "That doesn''t mean much coming from a soulless bitch."


    "If only your skills were as sharp as your tongue."


    A dense silence hung in the air.


    "All kidding aside, Hana, you could''ve come to me. I would''ve helped. No questions asked."


    "It''s a bit late to pretend like you care, Seah. And I don''t need your help."


    Seah laughed. It was hoarse. Mocking. "Forgive me, who was it that secured funding for the Academy when no one else would?"


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "A band-aid. A salve for your guilt."


    "Still, hardly the actions of a soulless bitch though, wouldn''t you say?"


    "I''m not here to trade barbs with you Seah."


    "No, you''re here because Jinyoung was arrested and placed under an indefinite hold."


    Hana''s opened wide. "On what charges?"


    "Threat to the realm."


    Hana felt her blood boil and face flush with anger.


    "That''s-!!"


    "Ridiculous. I know. That''s why he''ll be released under one very specific condition."


    "Goddammit, Seah. He''s not one of your pawns to tie up like-!!"


    "The condition is that he be placed under your care."


    Hana looked at Seah. It was impossible to imagine it now, but Hana could remember a time when she looked up to Seah. Even at the Academy, Seah was tall, beautiful, and dangerous. Everything Hana wanted to be when she grew up.


    The memory lingered.


    "Thank you."


    Seah walked past Hana and looked back at the Society. The cool reflective surface looked so perfect from a distance.


    "I saw him, you know. We have to take fingerprints, it¡¯s procedure. But they led him right past me. All those years and... he didn''t even glance in my direction."


    For a moment, Hana saw Seah as she had been 20 years ago. When Jinyoung had vanished, they all scoured the dungeon for clues. For years after, they would gather or share any information they had gleaned during their travels. But slowly, those meetings would become fewer. Until¡­


    Quietly, almost in a whisper, Seah spoke. "Maybe I am a soulless bitch."


    Hana didn''t know what to say. So she said nothing.


    "Take care of him, won''t you?"


    "I will."


    Seah gave a Hana knowing smile. Almost a smirk.


    "What about him, Seah?"


    For all her faults, Seah wasn''t dangerous. Somewhere deep inside, she''d buried her conscience, but Hana had seen for herself that Seah was still trying. She still cared. The same couldn''t be said of everyone.


    "Hana, no matter what has happened and what you may think of us... you''ll always be family. Jinyoung will always be family."


    Seah turned to leave, but said one more thing before she walked back into her ivory tower of glass, steel, and blood.


    "You know, it''s still there. You should go visit sometime. If only to dust for cobwebs. And in any case, your little vacation has gone on long enough. Isn''t it time you got back to the business of saving the world?"


    The Shield Knight of the Blade grit her teeth and balled her fists in anger. The events of the day were maddening. And despite the possibility of her good intentions, Seah''s appearance had brought more memories that Hana would rather not dwell on. And worst of all, she hated Seah''s parting words.


    Isn''t it time you got back to the business of saving the world?


    She was right.

 Start Over (3)

    The Academy wasn¡¯t just a training ground for would-be players. It was also an information hub for the system itself. The library held hundreds of shelves of books from before the Break, but also literature published about the system, classes, and dungeons. Most students and cadets went on to become swords-for-hire or adventurers in their own right. But many returned to perform research and explore the system itself rather than the dangerous world around them.


    To Jinyoung, who¡¯d only ever seen the Academy as a squat structure to house cadets between classes, it was a welcome shock. He¡¯d always hoped that there¡¯d be another path open to his classmates, but he never thought he¡¯d be able to see it first hand.


    After the initial shock, Jinyoung decided to go back to the skills menu. Something had bothered him. The skill tree for No Class players only consisted of three skills. But, each of the skills now had a branching line. And that branching line could only mean one of two things.


    ¡°Secondary skills or new aspects,¡± Hana answered.


    The two siblings had spent two days catching up. Eventually, Hana realized her own answers about how much the system, and their understanding of it, had evolved weren¡¯t enough. That¡¯s when she brought Jinyoung to the Academy so that they could find the answers Hana didn¡¯t have.


    Hana had hundreds of questions, but Jinyoung¡¯s answers were surprisingly dull. Hana¡¯s answers, on the other hand, were vague and nondescript. Questions about Hana¡¯s life over the past 20 years were either brushed aside or answered with an aching lack of detail. In time, Jinyoung realized that whatever it was, she¡¯d have to open up in her own time.


    ¡°Dad should be back in a week,¡± Hana said. ¡°He needed to head south for a friend¡¯s funeral, but he¡¯ll be back after that¡¯s over.¡±


    Now it was Jinyoung¡¯s turn to be evasive. ¡°Tell me more about aspects.¡±


    Secondary skills were abilities that played off a skill that had already been unlocked. For a fire mage, a primary skill was [fireball], a ranged attack that expelled a bolt of fire. One of the Secondary skills was [pyrogenesis] which allowed the caster to create a flame and hold it for use in battle or as a utility.


    Aspects, on the other hand, were another thing altogether. Aspects affected the original skill by adding effects or removing hindrances. This could be adding an elemental effect to a charged attack or reducing the mana cost for a spell. This could increase the size of the [fireball] or turn the ability into a rapid-fire machine gun.


    ¡°Has there ever been a record of someone unlocking Secondary skill or aspects for the No Class?¡±


    Hana shook her head. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t want to ask around too much because I don¡¯t want to raise any red flags, but there¡¯s no record anywhere of anyone seeing anything like this.¡±


    Red flags?


    Some of the things that Hana said were concerning. He¡¯d tried to follow up a few times, but Hana had been evasive. Saying that she¡¯d explain more, but for now he just needed to trust her.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    After confirming his ascension to level 11, Jinyoung had confirmed that (a) he did not have the option to allocate his own stat points and (b) he no longer had skill points. Whatever


    And most importantly, there was something that caught his eye. The branching line in his skills aside, there¡¯s a small notification symbol attached to his [scan] skill that had never been there before.


    ¡°At this point, Jinyoung, what do you have to lose?¡±


    Jinyoung wanted to laugh. He wanted to argue, but Hana was right.


    With a resigned sigh, Jinyoung tapped the [scan] skill.


    New (+) ASPECT Unlocked!


    [SCAN] is now [SCAN+].


    [SCAN+] now gives increased information about environments, items, monsters and PLAYERS. [SCAN+] also provides information on HIDDEN QUESTS.


    Jinyoung raised an eyebrow. Whatever he was expecting, this wasn¡¯t it. Until now, there was no way to learn more about a player status unless they specifically shared the information directly. But the biggest surprise was the last line.


    ¡°It says I can get information on hidden quests?¡±


    Hana¡¯s jaw dropped slightly. No one knew much about hidden quests and the little information that did exist was tightly guarded. The Society had caught wind that some players were discovering quests outside the normal bounds of hunting and exploration but because players were discovering them on accident, it was difficult if not impossible to re-access hidden quests once they were completed.


    ¡°What else is there?¡±


    Jinyoung paused and looked at Hana. His stare held until finally he told her.


    ¡°I can use [scan] on players.¡±


    ¡°What does it tell you?¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyes widened. The system displayed Hana¡¯s level and class. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was far more than what most other players saw. At level 52, Hana was further along than others her age. Most players in their thirties were between level 25 and 35. At 36 years old, Hana had progressed further than Jinyoung would¡¯ve ever dreamed.


    ¡°Not much. It gives me your level and class,¡± he mumbled.


    Hana grimaced. This was exactly what Seah had warned Hana about. The Society spent all of their wealth and influence on keeping the balance of players by any means necessary. And in one fell swoop with one low-level skill, Jinyoung had completely broken that balance. There had never been a player on record who could find hidden quests. And only high-level players of specific class types had the ability to [scan] other players.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else, Hana. [Charge], [dash], and [scan] each have a notification.¡±


    After activating [scan+], he could now see that there were additional notifications on each of the No Class skills.


    QUEST: The Path of the WIND (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Use [DASH] 1000 times.


    REWARD: [DASH+]


    QUEST: The Path of the ONION KNIGHT (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Reveal and COMPLETE 3 secret SUBQUESTS.


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    QUEST: The Path of INNER STRENGTH (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Deal 10,000 DMG with CHARGED attacks.


    REWARD: [CHARGE+]

 Start Over (4)

    Hana had insisted.


    There was only so much time Jinyoung could spend in the library looking for mentions of the onion knight and No Class skills before he felt like he was back in prison. To him, the past three years had been an endless battle with the goal of finally breaking free of the shrine and adventuring in the world. And try as she might, there were only so many excuses Hana could make.


    ¡°I know you want to protect me, but that¡¯s not your job. It¡¯s mine. One that I haven¡¯t been able to perform for the past two decades, little sister.¡±


    There it was. It wasn¡¯t the condescension that bothered her. In fact, she wasn¡¯t actually bothered. Hana was worried. Concerned. Uneasy.


    After decades of working with thousands of players, she¡¯d gotten pretty good at spotting it. And she spotted it in Jinyoung. It wasn¡¯t surprising, after all, Hana had replayed the day her big brother disappeared for years. She remembered the route through the dungeon they had taken and the time it had taken before they encountered the incursion. But most of all, she remembered Jinyoung. The need. The hunger.


    And now, 20 years have passed for her, but only three for him. That hunger was still there.


    In the end, she realized that Jinyoung needed to go out into the world. He needed to see for himself how much the world had changed and adventure through the dungeons he¡¯d dreamed of. But she couldn¡¯t very well let him wander into the world and attempt to clear dungeons at level 11. And that really only left her one option.


    ¡°You want me to be a cadet. Again?¡± Jinyoung was gobsmacked. He understood why his little sister was concerned, but to require him to repeat a year of training was insane, ridiculous, insulting¡­ All those things and more.


    ¡°Not a cadet, no. That¡¯d be cruel, but I do need a teaching assistant. You would be working with me to test trainees and take them on dungeon runs. Think of it as wading into the shallow end of the pool.¡±


    Begrudgingly, Jinyoung had admitted to himself that the world had changed a lot in 20 years. Everything from proper etiquette to dungeon strategies had shifted significantly. But more importantly, Jinyoung would have to start alone. Wherever Seah, Cyrus and Johann were, they weren¡¯t here.


    ¡°Fine. When do we start?¡±


    ***


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    The number of dungeons had only grown over the years. Humankind was beating back the monsters, but for every dungeon that was cleared, four more took their place. It was impossible to know when or where a new dungeon would appear, but they were no longer relegated to densely populated areas as they had been. Breaks could appear in the empty countryside or on roadways. And as the danger spread, the need for players only increased.


    Initially, it was chaotic at worst and unorganized at best. Rumors of new breaks would catch players¡¯ ears and a small town could wake up one morning to a horde of players offering their services.


    On the other hand, smaller counties could find themselves overrun by monsters which had outgrown the dungeon they spawned in. These were called outbreaks. One of the effects of a dungeon that¡¯s not properly cleared of monsters is a growth in the population of monsters. Initially, the monsters will fight amongst themselves. But eventually, they will leave the confines of the dungeon area and roam beyond their own borders.


    Densely populated cities were relatively safe due to a constant presence of players, but smaller towns and boroughs could be sieged and cut off from outside help.


    That¡¯s where the Player Society originally found their purpose. They would receive requests from all over the country and dispatch players to areas in need. And as time went on, the Society was given the authority to block off dungeons. This could be to allow a dungeon time to repopulate or due to the danger it posed to lower level players. Eventually, the Society took responsibility for most of the dungeons in Korea including determining who they allowed in.


    ***


    The cadets reminded Jinyoung of himself. They were eager to complete their final dungeon assignment and graduate from the Academy. He could see the eagerness in their eyes and it felt like only yesterday he was in their shoes.


    "Listen up, follow the rules and we''ll be done before afternoon." Hana rested her hands on her hips and took a deep breath.


    "The cadets know the rules, but seeing as how we have a newbie, a review couldn''t hurt."


    It took a minute before Jinyoung realized the cadets were staring at him.


    ¡°Seriously, Hana?¡±


    His little sister smirked. ¡°This dungeon has been classified as a D-tier assignment. Your assignment is to reach the checkpoint safely as a party. Once you¡¯ve reached the checkpoint, you may engage the mid-boss or leave the dungeon. Once the entire party returns safely, you will be considered graduates of the Academy.¡±


    It was Jinyoung¡¯s turn to smile. Since his disappearance 20 years ago, the academy had updated their testing procedures. For one, the cadets were put through three dungeons of increasing difficulty rather than one. And for another, the cadets were accompanied by two instructors at all times. And lastly, the cadets were allowed to engage the mid-boss so long as the instructors and the party agreed as a whole.


    ¡°You ready, Jinyoung?¡±


    To him, it¡¯d only been a week since he was freed from the shrine. Since his life was taken from him and he was dropped into a world that had moved on without him.


    Jinyoung tightened his grip on his sword and let out a slow and steady breath. He smiled.


    ¡°Ready.¡±

 Start Over (5)

    The twisted frames and rubble had once stretched 20 stories into the sky. On the south end, there was an entrance to an underground parking garage while the north went uphill into a mountainside. There were plenty of trails for the apartment¡¯s residents to explore on weekends. And on rainy days, the lower levels fed into a 7-story shopping mall on the westside. The structure had 3 floors above ground and another 4 that went below. And if that weren¡¯t enough, the mall had a direct entrance to the subway line.


    Young parents used to make their home here after poring over loan documents and haggling over tenths of a percentage point. But the upper floors were purchased by rich retirees or those who had come from family money. Eager to occupy homes hundreds of feet above the ground.


    Since then, the cluster of highrise apartments had collapsed leaving behind a maze of rubble and passages that were dangerous to navigate. It wasn¡¯t just unsteady rubble or the threat of further collapse. Things moved in the shadows. Things that watched and waited.


    ***


    The party moved quietly through the rubble. Willow had scouted the area in advance and researched the maps in the library, so she knew the quickest routes to the checkpoint. She also knew three alternate paths in case something went sideways. And further behind them, their instructors followed at a constant distance.


    Everyone had heard the news at the Academy. Somehow, the Onion Knight was back and he would be taking on the post of instructor. Her party was excited when they heard that he would be helping proctor their last dungeon run. Even Willow, who had not gone in for all the onion knight stories and legends during her time here, was interested to see what the legend was actually like in real life.


    ¡°Hsst!¡±


    That would be Kieun. He had found the entrance to the shopping mall. A quick lookover confirmed that no monsters were in or around the entrance. This zone was actually home to two dungeons. One stretching from the underground mall to the subway station below and another in the labyrinth of collapsed apartments above. As long as they stayed closer to the shopping mall than the apartment complex, they should be able to avoid anything beyond their capacity.


    Willow looked back and saw Hana and Jinyoung watching. Waiting. She was the party leader, so no one would move until she made a decision. Hana gave her the slightest smile and the most imperceptible nod.


    Willow took in a slow breath.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move.¡±


    ***


    Jinyoung was impressed. There were only three in the party, but they moved quietly and quickly. There were a few moments when they gathered and whispered to each other, but for the most part each cadet knew their role and carried it out without needing to speak.


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    Just beyond the dungeon¡¯s entrance, the party spotted a small group of four Man-Eating Beetles in the remnants of a food court. Without a word, the cadets fanned out and took up positions around the monsters.


    Quietly, Jinyoung and Hana watched from a distance as Kieun and Mara slipped in and cut down two beetles within seconds with a short spear and a longsword. Meanwhile, Willow used a crossbow and eliminated the remaining two beetles before they had a chance to react.


    ¡°Impressed?¡± Hana whispered.


    ¡°Yeah. Especially the party leader. She might be better than you were when you were young.¡±


    Hana feigned mock-surprise, ¡°I hope so. I trained her.¡±


    Once they cleared the area, the cadets returned to the beatles and, to Jinyoung¡¯s surprise, they cut the hard shells from the bodies.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°The hardshells are tougher than steel and they¡¯re held on by a carapacial hinge,¡± Hana explained. ¡°Once they¡¯re cut, the hinges are perfect handles making them perfect to use as shields.¡±


    None of that mattered much to Jinyoung whose face was distorted in disgust. Thoroughly grossed out as he was, he had to admit that the resourcefulness of the party impressed him. Of course, that mattered a lot less when Willow approached him and handed him and Hana each a shield.


    ¡°Hold onto these for us. Just in case.¡±


    Jinyoung opened his mouth to protest, but then just as quickly clamped it shut. Hana had already explained the rules of their expedition and the most important of these was that the proctors are watchers unless the party calls on them explicitly. In addition, they can be asked to carry or store materials, weapons, and items found inside the dungeon itself.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he muttered through gritted teeth.


    The party moved forward at a steady pace and cleared two more groups of insect monsters on their way to the checkpoint. When the dungeon was first discovered, the walkways of the mall were covered in garbage with blocked passages making consistent progress difficult, if not impossible. But with the constant traffic of players and monsters, trails through the shopping complex made it much easier to navigate. Still, the party of three cadets was surprisingly efficient and would¡¯ve easily outclassed Jinyoung if they attended the same classes.


    By the time they reached the checkpoint, it was obvious to all that the final dungeon test was only a formality. And, of course it was, the party¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t just to pass the test. They wanted to prove to their proctors that they should be allowed to fight the mid-boss.


    Hana already had it in her mind to approve the party if they wanted to fight the mid-boss. That didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t have her concerns. The mid-boss in this dungeon was an ornery one, but it was a good experience for cadets which is why she had chosen it.


    ¡°Granted. Jinyoung and I will stay close, but we will not engage in the battle unless one of the party requests assistance or if we deem the danger too great. Proceed when you¡¯re-¡±


    She didn¡¯t get to finish her sentence before she noticed it. Jinyoung was standing off to the side staring into the remnants of a clothing store.


    ¡°Does anyone else see that light?¡± he murmured.


    The cadets moved closer while Hana bit her lip. This was feeling too familiar.


    ¡°Nothing, sir. It¡¯s just dark.¡±


    Jinyoung nodded. ¡°I thought so.¡±


    And without a word, he stepped forward and reached out his arm before Hana could shout or stop him.


    QUEST: Thin Skin (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Defeat the MID-BOSS while taking minimal damage.


    FAILURE: Take on too much damage.


    REWARD: 1000 GOLD

 Start Over (6)

    Hidden quests were rare and Hana could already tell that the cadets were eager to take on the challenge. And it wasn''t just them. That bothered Hana more than anything else.


    "If it''s up to us, we''d like to take the quest," Willow offered. Kieun and Mara nodded behind her. "This is an opportunity we can''t miss out on."


    "Glad we all agree," Jinyoung called out from behind Hana. "Here we go."


    Hana thought to interrupt, but before she could Jinyoung accepted the quest on behalf of the party and every member received a notification.


    QUEST: Thin Skin (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Defeat the MID-BOSS while taking minimal damage.


    FAILURE: Take on too much damage.


    REWARD: 1000 GOLD


    A tense moment lingered. The cadets looked to Jinyoung and then slowly turned their gaze to Hana.


    She''d never been through this particular dungeon before, but as an instructor she''d done her research in its entirety.


    It was a thoroughly explored D-tier dungeon. The Academy had books written about the mobs, the interior tunnel structure, and the mid-boss. The underground shopping mall was a maze of corridors branching passages. Man-beetles patrolled the longer corridors while bigger creatures lurked deeper in. The large open spaces that had once been home to performances and events were crawling groups of monsters. Located just beyond the checkpoint was an open atrium. The lair of the mid-boss.


    The mid-boss was the Queen Bee, a large insectoid roughly the size of a minivan. Comparatively, the beetles earlier were smaller than shopping carts. Thanks to its massive weight, it could simply swing its weight around and deal massive damage in close quarters while it fired its stinger to hit targets at range. And if it ever found itself surrounded, it could rapidly beat its wings to create a powerful area-of-effect (AOE) gust of wind that sent everything in its immediate vicinity flying back.


    Hana bit her lip. The monster was weak against long-ranged attacks, but Willow was only equipped with a light-crossbow. Otherwise, they''d have to wait until it used its AOE attack and then counter-strike while its guard was momentarily lowered.


    Kieun had a short spear while Mara had a longsword giving them roughly the same range. Jinyoung only had a short sword, but he could use [dash] to move quickly. Either in to take advantage of an opening or out to avoid an attack. And Hana had skills to bolster the party¡¯s defenses and reduce any damage taken.


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    This might work.


    Finally, the shield knight broke the silence. "Fine, but you all do as I say and we do this my way. Understood?"


    The last bit was aimed at one cadet in particular. And Hana wanted to make sure he heard it.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ***


    The beetle carapace in his hand made his skin crawl, but he didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Hana had made it clear that Jinyoung and Willow needed something to defend themselves in case the plan went sideways.


    The party slowly made their way through the corridor with care. There was debris everywhere and picking the quietest path through the detritus was necessary if they were going to make this work. The party needed every advantage they could manage. Specifically, they needed the element of surprise.


    Eventually, the path cleared but the rubble remained. Chunks of the walls and ceiling found themselves scattered across the floor. The party made progress, painfully slowly until they reached the open atrium.


    A large intricate glass dome let the sunlight outside come streaking in, past the upper floor into the basement floor. Ceramic doves hung in the center, or at least some of them did. Most were shattered on the ground. The upper floor was accessible by a stairs on the north end while one of two escalators reached out from the center of the basement floor up to the upper landing.


    Perched at the entrance of the upper floor was the Queen Bee.


    Each party member saw a small gauge appear in their system HUD, presumably to measure the damage the party had taken.


    Damage Taken


    [llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll]


    That¡¯s new.


    ¡°Okay,¡± whispered Hana. ¡°Just like we planned. Everyone get in position.¡±


    Kieun and Mara flanked the atrium while Hana took cover behind a collapsed coffee cart. All it took was a silent nod and Mara moved in with their longsword. The Queen Bee immediately spotted and moved quickly to intercept.


    The cadet was surprised how quickly something so big could move. Instead of jumping down from the 1st floor, it jumped into the basement floor crashing into the tile and showering Mara with debris. They reacted blindly, responding with a spinning cut that CLANGED off the Queen Bee¡¯s head.


    ¡°Mara, get back!¡±


    Kieun moved in and thrusted in. Hard. The Queen Bee was knocked back a few feet while the short spear reverberated in his hands.


    ¡°Willow, now!¡±


    On cue, Willow took careful aim and fired at the hulking insect. Center weight.


    CLACK! CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!


    Four useless bolts clattered to the hard tile and Hana rushed in. Something was wrong. The Queen Bee was a D-Tier monster at most. It was weak against spells, but also physical attacks. A cut from a longsword, even a mediocre one, should¡¯ve cut straight through. And Willow¡¯s crossbow should¡¯ve made it a pin cushion.


    Things went wrong fast. The Queen Bee moved frighteningly quickly and slammed the weight of its body against the column Kieun was bracing behind. The concrete column shredded like paper and Kieun was thrown sideways into a shop offering free samples on weekends. While Willow worked to reload the crossbow, Mara moved in with a heavy cut that would¡¯ve cleaved a tree in two. Instead, the Queen Bee shrugged it off and Hana came in with a heavy [shield bash] that pushed the enormous creature sideways. Somehow, the massive thing recovered quickly and took direct aim at Hana with its stinger.

 Start Over (7)

    Jinyoung watched as the thing shook off a direct spear thrust, a huge swing from a longsword and four crossbow bolts. It didn¡¯t even slow down when it crushed a concrete pillar and hit Kieun behind it. The gauge on the system HUD emptied a bit, but it didn¡¯t matter. Chances were that this thing was going to tear through the party and none of them would leave alive at this point.


    Damage Taken


    [llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll----------]


    Shit.


    The good thing about having three skills is that it doesn¡¯t offer much in the way of options. [Dash] wasn¡¯t going to help and [charge] wouldn¡¯t work unless he was close enough to swing a sword. Which left only one option¡­


    [SCAN+]


    Monster: QUEEN BEE


    Recommended Level: 32


    Health: 100%


    Attributes: ARMORED


    Weaknesses: NONE


    What the hell does that mean?


    ***


    Hana stared at the stinger and raised her shield. She wasn¡¯t sure if her skills could defend against a direct shot at this range, but it should keep her alive. She grit her teeth and prepared herself when WHAM!


    Something hit her. Hard and from her side. For a split second, she worried that the monster flanked her before hitting her with a stinger. But even this thing wasn¡¯t that fast. It almost felt like-


    ¡°Jinyoung, what the hell?¡±


    He ignored her. ¡°Mara, go check on Kieun! Willow, we need a distraction!¡±


    Quietly, Mara moved from cover to cover sideways towards the human sized hole in the wall. Willow on the other hand fired shots at the Queen Bee¡¯s eyes, taking her time between shots.


    ¡°They can only buy us a second, so talk fast. It¡¯s ¡°armored¡±, Hana. What the hell does that mean?¡±


    Attributes were found in higher tiered dungeons. They offered additional bonuses and buffs to monsters making them even more dangerous. Even in her many battles, she¡¯d only encountered a handful of monsters like this.


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    ¡°There¡¯s armored and shielded. Which one is it?¡±


    ¡°Armored.¡±


    Hana grit her teeth. ¡°¡®Armored¡¯ means a monster is resistant to physical attacks. We can still damage it, but we¡¯ll have to break through its outer shell.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you cut through it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d take some time, but your [charge] could make it go faster.¡±


    Right. Unlike Hana¡¯s [shield bash] or [powered strike], which activated upon attacking an enemy, [CHARGE] needed to be activated before an attack. It was only the difference of a second or two, but in battle, that could mean all the difference.


    ¡°Just be careful after you activate it, Jinyoung.¡±


    [CHARGE]


    This SKILL allows PLAYERS to store energy within their


    bodies to boost their next attack, SKILL or SPELL.


    There was a little known effect when players activate [charge]. It had been hidden for years because so few people used it and players usually used it immediately after activating it. Once activated, [charge] reduced a player¡¯s agility stat by 30%. That meant players were slowed down and had more difficult dodging attacks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve got this.¡±


    Jinyoung moved out of cover and shouted at the monster. Kieun was dizzyingly making his way out of the hole in the wall while Mara was avoiding jabs from the Bee¡¯s stinger. He moved quickly to the left while the knight moved right.


    The monster ignored the squeaking human and instead shot a stinger the size of a javelin at Mara. The cadet brought their sword up just enough to parry it sideways. The stinger shot through a cash register, a mannequin, the wall and buried itself in the wall of a changing room.


    Watch your back, queenie.


    Jinyoung took the opening to move in and [charge]. The mana filled Jinyoung¡¯s body and he braced himself for the surge before swinging his short sword. Hard.


    WHAM!


    The blow hit like a truck and sent the monster sideways into the metal grating of a closed down shop. Hana took advantage and moved in close.


    [Powered strike].


    The impact was thunderous. The cadets covered their ears as their proctor knocked the monster through the metal gate and crashed into the abandoned shop inside.


    Kieun pumped his fist in the air and shouted, ¡°Nice shot! We got it!¡±


    The cloud of dust and rain of debris made it impossible to see the deadly monster. Jinyoung activated his [scan+] again and watched the telltale flash of light tell him that the system was relaying the information back to him.


    [SCAN+]


    Monster: QUEEN BEE


    Recommended Level: 32


    Health: 86%


    Attributes: ARMORED (26%)


    Weaknesses: NONE


    ¡°It¡¯s still alive, keep your guard up!¡±


    As if on cue, the Queen Bee exploded out of the corner and set pieces of concrete and brick flying. Impossibly quickly, the monster threw itself to the center of the atrium and raised its body up. The insect wings flapped fast and hard, sending out a powerful gust of wind. Willow took cover behind a wall on the upper floor while Kieun ducked behind a low wall. The others were swept back and slammed into walls around the edges of the atrium.


    Damage Taken


    [lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll----------------------------------]

 Start Over (8)

    From her vantage point, Willow could only watch as the Queen Bee knocked most of the party off their feet and swept them into walls. Kieun moved in and hit the bee with four uninterrupted strikes. Even from a distance, Willow could see the spear rebounded off the hard armored surface. It was almost like the monster was covered in an exoskeleton.


    Multifaceted eyes focused and a monstrous creature swung its massive frame at Kieun who deftly dodged out of the way and moved behind cover.


    That¡¯s my cue.


    The party leader popped out of cover, took careful aim at center mass, then let off two quick shots. The first bolt shattered on the bee¡¯s center frame, but the second bolt missed its intended mark and pierced one of its wings instead leaving a small pinhole.


    Willow¡¯s eyes went wide with instant realization. ¡°Hey! Its wings aren¡¯t armored!¡±


    ***


    Mara was tired. While they were more than up for a challenge, they¡¯d obviously bit off more than they could chew with this one. If this kept up, it was only a matter of time before the test proctor called a retreat and forced the party out of the dungeon. Even though they were cadets, it was obvious to tell that the mid-boss was much stronger than anyone had expected.


    They climbed back out of (yet another) wall they¡¯d been knocked through. In the atrium, the three melee players were dancing in and out of the Queen Bee¡¯s range while Willow provided cover fire from above. But the bee had taken notice of the party¡¯s strategy and was doing a better job of defending itself.


    From the corner of their eye, Mara spotted a tell-tale flash of magic being consumed. Jinyoung launched himself forward, crouched low as the monster swept its head sideways like a bull, then jumped up high and cut straight through the wings.


    YYYEEERRRZZ!!


    The monster let out an enraged, high-pitched screech. The players reacted instinctively, covering their ears. Which left Jinyoung completely unguarded when the bee hit him with the full weight of its body and knocked him through a solid concrete column.


    Hana moved in quickly to defend with a [shield bash]. The force of the skill knocked the monster clear off its feet and crashed into the escalator. It came to a halt, crumpled under the escalator like a broken toy.


    The last [shield bash] had been powerful and effective, but only because it had followed a [charge] strike. This time, it alone had sent the insectoid flying.


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    ¡°Hana!¡± Jinyoung shouted. Its armor is broken!¡±


    She quickly shouted back, ¡°How much health does it have left?¡±


    He paused to use [scan+] again. The system had notified him immediately after the [shield bash] of the monster¡¯s new vulnerability, but he¡¯d have to use his skill to get more information.


    [SCAN+]


    Monster: QUEEN BEE


    Recommended Level: 32


    Health: 29%


    Attributes: ARMORED (broken)


    Weaknesses: NONE


    The monstrous bug worked its legs to lift its massive body off the ground. The nubs on its back flapped madly, as if it were trying to flap its phantom wings. More than once, its legs buckled and the entire thing swayed like a large puppet whose strings were cut.


    ¡°Almost a quarter left!¡±


    With that, the entire party felt re-energized. Kieun quickly flanked behind the Queen Bee and swung wide with his spear, cutting out two of the legs. The monster lost its balance and its body fell to the ground with a thud. Using its remaining legs, it tried to drag itself into one of the stores on the outer edge of the atrium but Mara blocked its path. Using their body and longsword like a top, Mara swung a wide cutting arc and took a chunk from the weakened monster¡¯s head. Finally, Willow made her way down the escalator where she took four clean shots burying the bolts deep in the monster¡¯s body. The Queen Bee¡¯s legs finally gave out and it fell flat on the rubbles of the atrium.


    Slowly, the rest of the party walked out from cover and examined the corpse. It took a second, but the body slowly faded until nothing was left but the ruined rubble and collapsed architecture of the mall. Willow examined the remnants of the beetle carapace shield before dropping the cracked mess on the ground.


    QUEEN BEE defeated.


    Damage Taken


    [lllll------------------------------------------------------]


    QUEST: Thin Skin (I)


    COMPLETED.


    REWARD: 1000 GOLD


    A few of the cadets closed their eyes and wiped the sweat from their brows. That would be enough gold to help them join a guild or at least kit them for a dungeon. And, as fresh graduates, it was more than they would earn in the next year.


    The proctor let out a sigh. Things hadn¡¯t gone according to plan and she¡¯d have to talk to Jinyoung about his actions, but it was more than worth the effort.


    ¡°Good job, cadets. Or should I say, congratulations graduates.¡±


    [Level Up!]


    Jinyoung (NOVICE CLASS, Level 12)


    STRENGTH: 12        12 : WISDOM


    AGILITY: 12         12 : ENDURANCE


    LUCK: 12

 Start Over (9)

    It had been five years since Cyrus had taken the post of Paladin Guild Master. He was one of the youngest Guild Masters in recent memory, something he was very proud of. The position had been the culmination of hard work and years of sacrifice. Along with a bit of help from his grandfather.


    Eunice didn¡¯t like being in the Guild Master¡¯s office. She had been assigned to his services by the Player Society and while her loyalty was absolute, the paladin¡¯s own were¡­ murky at best. But everything she did was subject to the approval of the Society. She worked for them. Not him.


    ¡°So a hidden quest?¡± Cyrus murmured.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    News had spread quickly once the cadets returned to the Academy. Instructors and proctors had already sent multiple parties to investigate the occurrence. And, in a move to control the potential chaos, the Society had put the dungeon under the permanent stewardship of the Academy.


    ¡°From what I can gather, the quest is available to any player. It is activated by a hidden rune that-¡±


    ¡°Rune?¡±


    Eunice sorely hated being interrupted. So she took a breath before continuing. ¡°Yes, sir. It¡¯s a system artifact that¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t exist in physical space. But technomancers can see it. Other players are able to interact with them, but it¡¯s rare.¡±


    The Guild Master motioned for her to continue.


    Four days after the cadets returned, the Player Society was informed of the discovery. And then the very next day, Eunice was dispatched to investigate the dungeon. This was the fifth case of a hidden quest she¡¯d investigated in the past four years. The first had been in the coastal regions where a hidden quest had been activated by a group of young players. By the time she arrived, the quest was long gone and only the remnants of the system rune were left. The party that discovered it all died.


    The difference between this and other cases was the stability of the hidden quest. Every other instance had been a one-time quest, but this one stuck around. Not only that, other parties had completed the quest and received the reward afterward.


    ¡°So the hidden quest is still there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Currently, the Academy is prioritizing cadet parties led by at least two experienced proctors. Other players can request usage of the dungeon, but Academy students are currently being prioritized.¡±


    Cyrus smiled. That must¡¯ve been Hana¡¯s idea.


    Just then, a knock came at the door. ¡°Am I late?¡±


    Two pairs of eyes looked at the door as Seah entered. For a married couple, Eunice had rarely seen the two of them together. They were a striking couple, but whispers floated through the halls as to whether their marriage was a sham.


    ¡°Please, darling. Have a seat,¡± Cyrus spoke. ¡°Eunice was finishing up. Is there anything else?¡±


    The technomancer shook her head. ¡°No, sir. Shall I continue my surveillance?¡±


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    Before he had a chance to answer, Seah spoke up, ¡°For the time being. We still don¡¯t know how he discovered the hidden quest.¡±


    Her husband raised an eyebrow. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Jinyoung would pose a threat to the Society. Not to mention, he is our friend. Right, Seah?¡±


    The expression on Seah¡¯s face darkened for a moment while the question hung in the air.


    Seah smiled warmly. ¡°Keep an eye on Jinyoung and Hana for the time being. That is all, Eunice.¡±


    Eunice bowed low. ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡±


    She carefully made her way out of the office while Seah and Cyrus whispered amongst themselves. It was curious. She had been dispatched to follow the party before they discovered the hidden quest. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence.


    As the door closed behind her, she could still hear their conversation inside.


    ¡°Cyrus, they¡¯re back at the clan offices¡­¡±


    ***


    The brick structure was at least forty years old. Some of the facade was beginning to crumble away and most of the windows had grown fogged due to constant exposure to the heat of summer and the blistering cold of winter. By any standard of measure, it was a dump.


    Hana bit her lip. It had been years since her last visit, but she needed to be here. And it helped to have Jinyoung here.


    ¡°The first floor has five studio rooms while the second floor is office space. I wasn¡¯t sure, but Seah insisted we¡¯d need it for clients or whatever. And the top floor was a meeting room for us. Johann used to call it our battle room.¡±


    Jinyoung just stared.


    ¡°You guys actually did it,¡± he said.


    The awe in his voice took Hana aback. When they were teenagers, the clans were like professional sports teams. Groups of players that cleared dungeons and took on public works projects for fame, glory, and (of course) gold. Now, of course, clans were exactly like sports teams who only worked for fame, glory and gold.


    She shook the cobwebs from her mind as memories slowly surfaced. ¡°Cyrus¡¯ grandfather funded the clan for a few years and we worked closely with the Player Society. Mostly public quests like dealing with outbreaks and that.¡±


    ¡°His grandfather?¡± Jinyoung was incredulous. He¡¯d spent enough time with Cyrus and knew enough about the old man to know this didn¡¯t jibe with the old man.


    ¡°Yeah. He had his reasons.¡±


    Another piece of the puzzle, Jinyoung thought to himself. On his own time, he¡¯d explored the town and asked around about what happened in his absence. As a Guild Master, Cyrus¡¯ status was well-known. And, of course, it wasn¡¯t possible to talk about one half of the power couple without the other: the Guild Master and the Director of Operations at the Player Society.


    ¡°Jinyoung, I¡­ I think I¡¯m ready to do this again. The plan was always to help and¡­¡± Hana¡¯s voice broke. She¡¯d practiced this speech in her head, but she hadn¡¯t realized how hard it would be. ¡°I want to help people again, Jinyoung. Not just players at the Academy, but people. And¡­ I want your help.¡±


    Her eyes searched the ground before they rose and met Jinyoung¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Of course, Hana. Of course I¡¯ll help.¡± Jinyoung smiled. ¡°But what about the others? Shouldn¡¯t we¡­¡± His voice trailed off.


    Hana was standing right in front of him, but her eyes were so far away.


    She remembered the last quest they took on a group: Cyrus, Seah, Johann, and herself. There had been a rotating cast of freelancers and support, but it was always the four of them. Until it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Hana?¡± Jinyoung¡¯s soft voice broke through the cavalcade of memories that gripped Hana.


    Her brother hesitated. It¡¯d been weeks since he¡¯d returned. Slowly, he¡¯d come to grips with his new reality. But there were so many unanswered questions. Not just unanswered, but¡­ the way that Hana¡¯s eyes cut sideways when he mentioned Cyrus or the flash of anger when he mentioned Seah worried him so much he learned to bring them up as little as possible.


    But there was one name that provoked a different response. And he needed to know what happened to his friends. All of them.


    ¡°Hana, where¡¯s Johann?¡±

 Start Over (10)

    Dae watched the horizon. It was late in the day, the sun was getting ready to set, and his shoulders were heavy. He had just finished a job in the north by the borderlands. Monsters had overrun the mountains and were starting to pour out into human lands, a consequence of dungeons left unchecked. The younger players were too busy fighting for gold and glory. That left older warriors like him to clean up the less profitable messes. Poor villages suffering from wolf attacks. Monstrosities wandering the forests threatening the outskirts. But there was no glory to be had from saving the weak. No money to be earned from protecting the poor.


    The cemetery here was full of residents but devoid of visitors. Or nearly. It was rare to see younger players here. He watched as two picked their way through the brick paths deeper into the field. For every legend buried here, there were 20 unmarked graves. Dae had been here when the cemetery was first built nearly 27 years ago. After the World Break, it took over a year but humanity gained a foothold against the monsters. It had cost them dearly. And if they hadn¡¯t buried their dead and saved themselves from falling deeper into violence, it might¡¯ve cost them more.


    Dae had never married. There were too many monsters to kill, too many civilians who needed saving for that. But he had children. Young ones that he¡¯d raised, fed, and trained. More than a few were buried here. Older and younger than the two he was watching.


    The boy was young, maybe in his early twenties while the girl was in her thirties. Dae had met Hana on a number of occasions, usually after he¡¯d gone out on a binge with her father. It was especially hard after the boy disappeared twenty years ago.


    The battles in the north were still raging and he was only in the city to resupply. The old warrior had promised to look in on them before heading back.


    Hana and Jinyoung walked further until he could no longer see them beyond the line of mausoleums. He could walk in, but Dae determined he¡¯d done as his friend had asked. The two of them looked good and he could report back that they seemed in good health.


    It was time to go back north. There was work to be done.


    ***


    Here Lies Johann Argos


    Trusted Friend


    It was difficult to focus on one emotion for Jinyoung. He had spent so much time dreaming of what his life would be like when he finally left the dungeon, but he hadn¡¯t expected this.


    Johann was like Jinyoung. Both were far from home when the World Break struck and with air travel essentially impossible at the time, neither had any way of getting back. Johann¡¯s parents were taking a tour of Asia when disaster struck. Through sheer luck, they happened to be visiting the countryside and made it through the initial disaster without any injuries. But eventually, Johann lost both his parents during an outbreak when monster numbers in a dungeon grew so large that they ravaged a nearby town.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°We used to talk about what it¡¯d be like if either of us got to go home. He used to tell me about his uncle¡¯s house in Germany. I can¡¯t even remember where it was¡­¡±


    ¡°Wiesbaden.¡± The memory came unbidden to Hana. She was 14 and against the wishes of her father, she snuck downstairs one night and saw Jinyoung talking to Johann.


    ¡°The whole city sat on top of a natural spring and he called it¡­ something,¡± she struggled to remember. It had been so long ago.


    ¡°Heilvasser,¡± Jinyoung offered.


    ¡°Right. And then you talked about¡­¡± her voice trailed off. ¡°Your dad.¡±


    Even as children, Hana¡¯s brother had rarely spoken about his parents. His mother had died on the day system first booted up. But his father was back in America where Jinyoung had been born. Hana had always suspected that Jinyoung held out hope that he was still alive.


    ¡°Johann always talked about going back home, but I guess he never got the chance.¡±


    ¡°He almost did, six years ago,¡± Hana replied. ¡°A small expedition of adventurers ventured north in spring, hoping to find their way through Russia and China into Europe. Johann had spearheaded the preparations.¡±


    He heard himself ask the question, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Quietly, his sister wished she¡¯d never brought up the subject. The silence spoke volumes.


    Jinyoung¡¯s disappearance twenty years ago had rippled out like waves in a pond. For nearly a decade, Johann had focused his efforts on locating Jinyoung. Most of the books about the black shrine at the Academy were written by Johann or with his help. Even after Hana had decided to move on with her life, Johann had kept going until eventually, he too had finally let go.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one that got me working at the Academy, you know. Johann started up there after the mess with the clan about six years back. He invited me out to dinner. I was burnt out from the quests and the killing and¡­ he reached out.¡± Hana remembered the state she was in when Johann had come looking for her. Without his help, she shuddered to think of what she was turning into.


    ¡°How did he die?¡±


    It took a moment for Hana to answer. She wasn¡¯t sure what to say or how much to say. Finally, she decided that the least she could do was tell her brother the truth.


    ¡°There was a quest. Something happened deep in the city, further than anyone¡¯s ever been. The Society put out a call to a select few and Johann volunteered.¡±


    She saw the question form on his lips and shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the quest was. Johann never told me and whenever I tried to ask anyone at the Society, they wouldn¡¯t tell me. I even tried to get back in touch with Cyrus, but there was nothing. It was like everyone wanted to forget the quest even existed. But he said something that¡¯s stuck with me for a long time. Something that someone else said to me recently, too.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that, Hana?¡±

 I Need Your Opinion on Formatting

    Simple question: what do you think of the formatting of the story. Specifically, my use of all caps on words in dialogue and narrative.


    I''m considering changing the formatting choices starting with the next story arc. It would most likely be with some combination of italics and regular caps (i.e. Shield Knight or [Shield Bash]).


    While I''m working on the next season, I''ll also be updating my manuscripts for typos as well as working on changing it to the new format. It shouldn''t take too long so long as I spend a few days focusing on the tasks at hand.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    My biggest concern is you guys, the readers. I don''t want to change this if the majority of you want it to stay as is.


    That''s why I''ll have this poll up for a few days. Based on the answers, I''ll adjust or not-adjust the story accordingly. Just let me know what you think and we''ll move on from there.


    As always, thank you all for reading and I''ll see you again for the author''s note.

 Authors Note: Skills, Job Classes, and the Publishing Schedule

    How do the Skills and Job Classes work in RotOK?


    I grew up in the 90¡¯s so the biggest RPG games of my childhood were Final Fantasy Tactics and Diablo II along with two lesser known titles, Legend of Legaia and Xenogears. While the latter doesn¡¯t quite figure into RotOK, the other three have heavily influenced the way that Classes, Skills and Spells work. FF Tactics¡¯ Job Classes were the most fun I¡¯ve ever had when it comes to character customization and Diablo II¡¯s builds were the first example of endgame optimization I¡¯d ever come across. Legaia¡¯s ¡°legacy¡± hasn¡¯t factored in yet, but suffice it to say, it does.


    I haven''t put together a total skill/spell/ability list (although I am getting there) for every class. I do have them for the main characters because this also helps me set rules to what these characters are capable of even if I haven''t stated those boundaries in the story. This way, even if I don''t outline what every character is capable of (or isn''t capable of), I can pull back when I reach their limits and give my readers a soft idea of what each character''s limits are.


    For example, here''s Hana''s Job Class Tree along with her Skill Tree. Note, she doesn''t have all the skills listed here. These are all the skills available to her thanks to her job classes. She has none of the No Class skills nor does she have Warrior''s Call or Rally Charge which is an aspect change of WC.


    Each Job Class generally has three Skills split into one of three categories: active attack, active defensive, and passive.


    Frequently Asked Questions


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Does everyone get the No CLASS SKILLS by default? Or do you have to use your points to get them?


    Skills in this world are only unlocked by investing Skill points in them. Every Skill can be leveled up further by investing more Skill points into them.


    Of course there are Aspects that change how Skills work. For example, [HARDENED SKIN] increases a person¡¯s Endurance. But a later Skill, [MIRROR SKIN], further increases Endurance along with defense against magical attacks for another class in the Fighter tree.


    (During the BLACK SHRINE story arc) why has it been 20 years for everyone else and only 3 years for Jinyoung?


    The honest truth? It¡¯s been 20 years for everyone including Jinyoung himself. But as far as anyone can tell, Jinyoung has only aged 3 years.


    (During the Start Over story arc) A mid-boss that level tens are allowed to take on can shrug off the shield bash from a shield focused level 52???


    The armored attribute reduces damage from physical attacks along with any related effects. This could be crush, break and knockback effects.


    Under normal circumstances, Hana would be able to take on this monster by herself no problem. But this is a training exercise. Her goal isn¡¯t to complete the quest or kill the monster, it¡¯s to evaluate the cadets and give them a chance to engage in battle. That¡¯s also why the cadets are the ones to land the killing strikes and not Hana or Jinyoung.


    Remember, Hana is a level 52 shield knight. She¡¯s definitely got more skills than just [shield bash]. She just chooses not to use them for the time being.


    If [Return of the Onion Knight] isn¡¯t about Davos Seaworth being reincarnated as a hot anime lead, then I¡¯m finding your story and giving it a half star. 0 finger bones out of 5.


    Davos woke up. The ocean waves crashed on his body, over and over again. It felt like the ocean was tugging at him; willing his body back into her depths.


    Slowly, he stood. Balancing his weight on the shifting sands, careful not to lose his balance fall on his face. His face? He rubbed his chin in shock. The beard and mustache, gone. Replaced with smooth, clean shaven skin.


    He looked down at his hands which were no longer the hands of a seaman. They weren''t rough with callouses and scars that told of years at sea. His arms weren''t as hairy either, nor was his chest which glistened in the sun. And his manhood¡­

 The Stuff of Legends (1)

    The hidden quest resulted in an unexpected level of fame and notoriety for Willow. The young graduate had planned for multiple contingencies, but the sudden level of renown, verging on infamy for discovering and completing the hidden quest was unexpected.


    Kieun and Mara had leveraged their newfound fame as the first cadets in history to complete a hidden quest to join reputable clans outside the city. A nice joining bonus helped both of them join their chosen guilds.


    But it was that same status and standing Willow sought to escape. Clans chased after her and hounded her for days after word got out. Every knife hand and two-bit spellcaster wanting to make a name for themself offered her a senior position in a clan or a partnership.


    In the end, she chose a small clan who had, until recently, been inactive. While they had a storied pedigree, it was their future she was far more interested in.


    ¡°Hana, I never got to thank you for your help with the Scholar¡¯s Guild. I needed the gold from the Quest for-¡±


    ¡°We all have our expenses, Willow. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll explain in due time.¡±


    Willow spoke to be heard above the din. ¡°But, then again. If we have to wait here any longer, I might have to reconsider.¡±


    The two of them had been waiting for hours at the main offices of the Player Society. Office workers politely explained the intricacies of bureaucracy while adventurers stifle the urge to scream at them. Most of the time. Hence the din.


    Hana hated being here, but it was necessary. The Phoenix clan had previously been placed on hiatus and needed to be put on active duty. That way, she could register Willow and Jinyoung. But she hated being here.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Willow hesitated to speak. ¡°I heard that you knew the director of operations here at the Society. Wouldn¡¯t we be able to get an appointment if we talked to her?¡±


    The frozen mask Hana had so often practiced with Jinyoung kept her face emotionless. Until their trip to the cemetery, she had kept everything from her brother. Even now, she felt guilty for only giving him most of the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in any position to ask Seah for favors.¡± Hana sighed. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve asked Jinyoung here. They knew each other too. I just¡­ I didn¡¯t want to put him through this.¡±


    Almost against her will, Willow made a face. After what she¡¯d heard and seen of the brother, she had her concerns. But out of respect for her sunbae, she had kept her mouth shut. It took considerable effort.


    The attendant at a window called out, ¡°Number 381!¡±


    At the window, Hana filled out the forms to put her clan into active service. Since she was the only member listed on the registry, she was immediately promoted to Clan Leader. Congratulations, she thought to herself. Now it would all be on her.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re planning to travel east to the Seorak region for the outbreak quest.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± clans and unaffiliated parties had been registering for the quest all day. ¡°I can get that done for you right away. Just so you know, the quest will be held in May rather than April this year.¡±


    To Willow, this seemed like part of the bureaucratic process, but Hana was taken aback. The Seorak Outbreak was in April every year. A delayed start didn¡¯t make sense. Not in any way that Hana liked.


    ¡°Can I get the names and ID no. of your party members, please?¡± The attendant¡¯s question brought Hana back to reality.


    ¡°Jinyoung, ID No. NC008233. Willow, ID. No. SC510672.¡±


    While the attendant worked on her computer, Willow pulled Hana aside. ¡°Where is he, anyway? Shouldn¡¯t he be here for this?¡±


    ***


    The market was the last place he remembered being with Seah, Johann, and Cyrus before their graduation. Most cadets avoided it because the monsters were overly difficult while most intermediate adventurers found it too easy.


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    But Jinyoung had always liked the challenge. More than that, it was the last place he visited with his mother. They were running an errand for his grandparents, picking up ingredients for a big family dinner. He remembered visiting walking down the long corridors flanked by grocery marts, shops, butchers and fishmongers. It had originally started off as the town square before the streets leading to it were slowly taken over by merchants. Finally, at the peak of its popularity, it had been redesigned in a wheel and spoke pattern.


    Jinyoung used to remember walking down the alleys and corridors, taking in the scents of bakeries and restaurants. He vaguely remembered a toy store somewhere in the area. But those memories had been replaced with months of training and monsters that could appear from dark corners.


    The dungeon appeared later, after the World Break. The market also had multiple underground tunnels whose layout had been long since lost to time. Somewhere in there, there was a break. But until it was located, it couldn¡¯t be sealed. And instead, monsters slowly found their way to the surface and patrolled the market.


    The skeleton warriors that walked the ground level were easy enough to pick off one by one. The problem was when they grouped up. Most low-leveled warriors were easily overwhelmed.


    But Jinyoung wasn''t like most warriors.


    He had walked through the corridors looking for a group like the one he had just found. A group of five walking tightly in a unit. Jinyoung gripped the bastard sword tightly. Just a few steps closer.


    The [dash] moved Jinyoung into the center of the unit before the monsters could react. He had a second to take a breath before immediately activating [charge]. The same familiar surge of power electrified his entire body.


    Now, let¡¯s see if this works.


    [Charge] worked by converting some of an adventurer¡¯s magical power into kinetic energy. This energy was released when using a skill, spell or a regular attack. But Jinyoung wanted to test the limits of the latter.


    Instead of attacking a single monster, he gripped the handle of his sword and swung wide in a full circle. Almost immediately, he could see the sword arc blaze brightly as the magical power helped the sword cut through the skeletons like butter.


    By the time he caught his balance, there were only the remains of five skeleton warriors left.


    ¡°Worked like a charm.¡± He could hear his voice echo off the walls in this place. Over the past three days he¡¯d grinded the area so he could (a) get used to the Novice skills and (b) complete the extra quests to earn new aspects to his skills.


    QUEST: The Path of the WIND (I)


    REWARD: [DASH+]


    QUEST COMPLETE.


    New (+) ASPECT Unlocked!


    [DASH] is now [DASH+].


    [DASH+] does not require MP to use. [DASH+] cooldown time reduced.


    It was just like Hana had said. Each of his Novice skills probably had a (+) aspect that could be unlocked by completing quests. Even just [scan+] unlocked untold possibilities by allowing Jinyoung to find hidden quests. By comparison though, the upgraded [dash] was much less impressive.


    At the least, I¡¯ll have an easier time getting around now. Having a reduced cooldown time made it easier to use in battle, but the negated MP cost meant he¡¯d be able to practice using it more without having to wait for his MP to recover.


    Yesterday, when he started getting close to completing this quest, Hana had asked a simple question. She wanted to know the exact name of the quest he was given. And when he told her, she made a very important prediction.


    Ding! A notification appeared in his system HUD.


    QUEST: The Path of the WIND (II)


    OBJECTIVE: Use [DASH+] to move across 10,000 km of distance


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    The roman numerals at the end of a quest name signified that there was more than one version of that quest available. Even the hidden quest had a ¡°(I)¡± behind it. This weird onion knight class might not be the worst thing after all.


    Jinyoung? It¡¯s me, Hana. Don¡¯t freak out.


    I just finished registering you to the clan so the system¡¯ll allow us to send each other messages like this.


    Willow and I just finished up at the Society. It¡¯s time to start getting ready. Meet us back at the Phoenix offices and I¡¯ll explain our next steps for there.


    Jinyoung sighed. He¡¯d hoped to complete the [charge] quest, but it proved to be difficult. Even with a new sword. But the new [dash+] would certainly come in handy, not to mention the additional levels he¡¯d gained while training.


    Okay, Hana.


    I¡¯m heading back to the office now.


    See you in a bit.


    QUEST: The Path of the ONION KNIGHT (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Reveal and COMPLETE 3 secret SUBQUESTS.


    Current Progress: 1 secret SUBQUEST completed (33% completed)


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    QUEST: The Path of INNER STRENGTH (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Deal 10,000 DMG with CHARGED attacks.


    Current progress: 6,522 DMG (65% completed)


    REWARD: [CHARGE+]

 The Stuff of Legend (2)

    The largest gathering of players Jinyoung had ever seen was his first year as a cadet. There was a sudden break in the neighboring town and monsters came pouring out of a dungeon. The Society put a call out and hundreds of warriors answered. It only took a day to clear the dungeon completely and make sure that the townspeople were safe.


    That was then. This was different.


    Hundreds of clans showed up to Seorak for the outbreak quest. There were a few villages located scattered throughout the region, but the large resorts had been prepared ahead of time for the massive influx of adventurers.


    An older man Jinyoung had never met noticed Hana and walked toward them with a wide smile on his face. ¡°As I live and breathe, the Phoenix clan. It¡¯s good to see you again, Hana.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, too, Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°Please, no need to be so formal.¡± He paused and looked over Jinyoung and Willow. ¡°I¡¯d heard you had revived the old house. New crew, though?¡±


    ¡°My brother Jinyoung and a fresh new scholar, Willow.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened when Hana mentioned the familial relationship. ¡°Brother? You mean the onion knight?¡±


    Jinyoung did his best not to scowl. He was getting tired of the moniker. The origin of the name was still unknown to him and it was starting to get on his nerves.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± he gripped Jinyoung¡¯s hand in a firm handshake. ¡°Is this your first outbreak?¡±


    It was, but he stayed silent. Outbreaks weren¡¯t uncommon, even twenty years ago. They occurred when a dungeon was left on its own for too long and the monster population grew to critical levels. The increase in monsters would lead to more miasma which would lead to more monsters and so on. Eventually, the population of monsters would grow unstable and they¡¯d leave the confines of the dungeons to hunt.


    In most cases, the Society would send parties to clear the dungeon and shut them down completely. But Seorak was a special case. The location of the actual dungeon itself was somewhere deep in the forests of Seorak mountain. So deep that no one had found it.


    ¡°But the damned hordes of monsters, including the mid-boss, find their way out every year.¡±


    ¡°Every season?¡± Willow asked. Outbreaks were a part of life, but they were dangerous. Monsters roaming the free lands outside a dungeon posed a serious danger.


    Jinyoung narrowed his eyes and scanned the crowds of armored adventurers. ¡°You¡¯d think with all these warriors and mages, they¡¯d have cleared the thing by now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d think that. But look closer.¡±


    Willow and Jinyoung did as they were told and looked at the crowd. It wasn¡¯t just players in the crowd, there were merchants, healers, and stalls set up offering varying services.


    ¡°They¡¯ve turned the damned thing into a carnival,¡± the Guild Master spat. ¡°They all come for the glory and experience, then leave before finishing the job. Then next season, it starts all over again.¡±


    It was a disturbing thought. Jinyoung had heard of outbreaks decimating entire families in the past. And to see it allowed for sport was disturbing.


    ¡°Willow, the Player Society should¡¯ve set up camp near the forest¡¯s edge. Put in a request for a fourth. Jinyoung and I will buy provisions for tomorrow.¡±


    The former cadet nodded and slowly moved through the crowd.


    ¡°I have my duties, Hana, but before I go here.¡± The Guild Master held out a hand for a second and a quest appeared.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak


    OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week


    REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)


    FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans


    Unlike regular quests, Outbreak quests were undertaken by multiple parties at once. There was no limit to the player count and a bounty was placed on each monster killed in the quest area. This meant that each monster the party hunted would give them 100 Gold which wasn¡¯t much. There were plenty of other quests that could pay more, but the alternative was leaving the Seorak region to be overrun by monsters. And they couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. Good hunting.¡±


    ***


    Jinyoung had worried when they set out with basic gear, weapons only really. But in the crowded grounds of what used to be a hotel parking lot, he understood. The merchants here carried gear specifically for this quest.


    ¡°We used to store gear in the basement of the offices,¡± Hana explained, ¡°but Johann donated most of it after the clan disbanded.¡±


    She might as well have spoken to a rock because Jinyoung was barely paying attention. His eyes were glued to the tables of weapons, armor, and gear for sale. He¡¯d gotten an inkling when Hana had presented him with gear that would¡¯ve cost as much as a small car. Now, he could see that powered weapons and equipment with defensive attributes were easily available.


    He held up an amulet that purported to allow the bearer to cast [teleport], regardless of class.


    Amulet of Instant Teleportation


    Allows the user to cast [TELEPORT]


    Charges Remaining: 4 / 50


    Hana looked up from a small steel shield she was inspecting. ¡°Careful with those, they¡¯re worth 20,000 GOLD.¡±


    Jinyoung slowly put the amulet back down on the table.


    ¡°I guess it makes sense. Even if there are only a few charges left.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He pointed down at the enchanted jewelry, ¡°There are a max of 50 charges, but only 4 are left.¡±


    Casting gear was rare enough, but rarer still was the ability to see how many charges were left. It was one thing if the provenance was known and tracked, but it was another for anything from the gray market.


    She picked up another wooden shield she had been inspecting earlier. There was a small note taped to it. It read, Fire Resistance, Increased Durability, Reduces Skill Cooldown.


    ¡°What about this one?¡± she asked.


    Arcane Reinforced Small Shield


    Attributes: Fire Resistance (low), Ethereal


    ¡°There¡¯s no Skill Cooldown, but it does have Fire Resistance. Low. And it¡¯s something called ¡®Ethereal¡¯?¡±


    Hana smiled. ¡°It means that the attribute disappears if you repair the shield.¡±


    She dropped the shield back on the table where it landed with a thud.


    ¡°Wait. Hana, what do you see when you pick up the shield?¡±


    She placed her hand on the shield and looked at the system window. ¡°It says fire resistance and there are three other attributes that I can¡¯t read.¡±


    Her eyes struggled to read the faded text until she just gave up. ¡°Usually, that means that the attributes have faded with time or damage. But the ¡®ethereal¡¯ aspect means even repairing it wouldn¡¯t bring them back.¡±


    Jinyoung [scanned+] the marketplace and saw a multitude of items advertising attributes and stat increases that were, in reality, nonexistent.


    ¡°This might take a while.¡±


    ***


    It took a few hours, but Jinyoung and Hana had purchased enough gear to make their time in the forests and mountains of Seorak easier. The armor they purchased allowed for easier maneuverability while the weapons had increased durability, meaning they¡¯d last longer in the field. Jinyoung had his eye on a ring that could cast [firebolt], but even he had to admit 15,000 gold for a level 1 skill made no sense.


    Willow was happy to hear that Hana and Jinyoung did well with the outfitters. If only because she had less than good news for the party.


    ¡°The Society rejected our request for a fourth.¡±


    A stunned silence was the only answer she got. It was rare for the Society to refuse or reject a request for additional party members. Especially in this case because there were so many freelancers available in the area.


    ¡°But, that¡¯s not the worst of it.¡±


    Hana struggled to imagine what could possibly be worse. And she even voiced the thought.


    ¡°Clan Pegasus is joining the quest today.¡±

 The Stuff of Legend (3)

    Cyrus felt the warm embrace of happiness.


    It didn¡¯t happen often. He was often smiling and giving off the impression that he was happy, but it was rare that he actually felt joy. But, here, in the offices of a Guild Master who¡¯d long since lost any right to call himself so, he was happy.


    Things had slowly been spiraling beyond his control. The mountains to the north were experiencing more monster attacks lately and the upcoming summer meant monsoons and heavy rainfall. Underground dungeons had the possibility of flooding which would increase the chances that people would get caught in them or that the dungeons themselves would become damaged. And with the Society¡¯s resources so stretched, dungeon upkeep had become difficult.


    Not to mention the Phoenix. The rumors about hidden quests and the potential rewards they offered had driven the community into a frenzy. Things were so carefully balanced as it is, Jinyoung¡¯s mess had only upset the meticulously balanced player economy.


    The onion knight, they called him.


    He smiled. Cyrus could only imagine how much that must bother Jinyoung.


    ¡°Sir?¡± He turned slowly to face a young squire. ¡°We¡¯re ready for you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. And what of my wife?¡±


    The teenager visibly squirmed. ¡°She sent notice. Uh¡­ but there was an issue to the north she needed to address and¡­ sir, she won¡¯t be able to make it today.¡±


    Inside, Cyrus was no longer smiling. ¡°Of course,¡± he heard himself say. ¡°The Director has many responsibilities. What¡¯s good for the Society is good for society.¡±


    He let himself be led from the Guild Master¡¯s offices to a stage erected at the edge of the Seorak forest. The mountains stretched up to the heavens a few kilometers out and blocked out the sun. Cyrus approached the stage quietly, still angry from the news the young knight-in-waiting had delivered.


    But he had been taught well. He held the anger in and looked out, across the podium, at the thousands gathered in front of him. Slowly, he let himself return to the moment. There were so few like this. Flags flapped in the wind and he recognized more than a few, but one banner stood out in particular.


    The Phoenix, he thought. I¡¯ll have to seek them out in the field.


    In the crowd he saw more than a few familiar faces, but he let his eyes unfocus and looked at the mass as a whole. He slowly raised a hand up and then pumped his fist into the air. A wave of cheers and roaring washed over him and he felt good again. He felt happy again.


    ***


    It was hard not to feel nervous along with a host of other emotions. Excitement was certainly chief among them, but Willow also felt anxious, worried and, above all, nauseous. So she was glad when Hana made the decision to skip the opening ceremony. The idea of being crammed into a sea of people just heightened her anxiety. And the further they got from the quest base, the better she felt.


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    The forests of Seorak had grown and stretched up to cover the sky under a canopy of pines and evergreens. The same trees that blocked out the sun kept the air from circulating properly at the ground level. It left the air hot and heavy, even during the early summer months. Humid. Perfect for the monsters that made their way above ground.


    Unlike their last time together, Hana led the party and they never got more than 12 feet away from each other at any given time. A party of 3 meant there was no spotter and they couldn¡¯t take on as wide a formation as they would have preferred.


    Hana tested the air. [Battle Senses] gave her heightened senses and a stronger mental state in a fight. But it kicked in if any of her senses unconsciously noticed a monster nearby. Even without a tracker or hunter, she might be able to ¡°see¡± a monster nearby before it saw them. The wind shifted and she felt it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she felt the rush as adrenaline pumped into her bloodstream.


    Jinyoung saw Hana raise a hand and knelt down silently. She was looking around, trying to get eyes on something. He took a breath and then felt a telltale twinge as the MP left his body. An invisible and imperceptible pulse left his body as [scan+] read his surroundings. The system fed him the information and Jinyoung jumped to his feet.


    ¡°Ambush!¡±


    The warning pulled Willow from her thoughts and she counted five- No, six lizardmen dropped from the trees overhead. Three more revealed themselves from the surroundings, but they were still 30 meters away. Nine monsters in total. She drew her crossbow and unloaded six bolts. Three found their marks hitting one in the leg and shoulder while another took a bolt to the head before dropping down dead.


    Jinyoung turned his focus on a pair that had stumbled on the roots of a tree and were trying to regain their footing. He swung hard and the sword caught one just below the elbow while the other dodged. The one missing most of his arm started to scream before Jinyoung took his head immediately after.


    A few feet away, Hana shouted loudly, casting [taunt] and immediately drawing the attention of the remaining monsters to her. The shout reverberated through the forest and shook the trees. The remaining four lizardmen stood, momentarily stunned. They regained their faculties but not before Willow cut one down with a short sword and Hana cleaved through another.


    Seeing so many of their brethren cut down so quickly was a shock. Two turned to flee while the three the other three in the distance simply melted back into the backdrop of the forest.


    ¡°Willow! You¡¯re up!¡±


    The new scholar raised her hand and closed her eyes. It took a second to focus the magical energy and cast a spell, especially for newbies. The [arcane shot] flew out from her hand and flew forward before burying itself in the head of a fleeing lizardman.


    Jinyoung watched as the remaining monster quickly fled out of sight. ¡°What about the last one?¡±


    Hana held up her shield and scanned the horizon. A trick her father had taught her when she was young.


    ¡°It left a clear trail and it¡¯ll regroup with the others that ran off. Once we find it, we¡¯ll find the others.¡±


    ***


    She was right. About half a kilometer away, they found the four lizardmen huddled together and cut them down quickly and quietly. As the day went on, they found five other groups of monsters bringing their total to 21 lizardmen. By the time they returned to the encampment, word of the onion knight¡¯s success was on everyone¡¯s lips.


    QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak


    OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week


    Progress: 4,583 / 20,000


    REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)


    FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans

 The Stuff of Legend (4)

    At best, an outbreak took a full day. In cases like Seorak, it was usually three to four days. During the day, parties took to their assigned locations and did their best to fulfill their quotas. After the quotas were fulfilled, they were free to venture deeper into the forest to hunt more monsters. Like other similar events, the goal was to find the dungeon itself and clear it completely, thus preventing future outbreaks. But in the past 17 years, no one had found the source of the lizardmen.


    Now and then, players would share rumors of underground caves or deep river beds populated with monsters, but there was never any solid evidence. Never a substantial clue as to where the monsters were coming  from.


    Jinyoung listened with rapt attention as an older player told a fan favorite. Three hunters had set into the forest a decade earlier with every intention of finding the dungeon proper. They stayed out for four days and four nights, running across other parties during the time. By all accounts, they were haggard and rough on the fourth day. But they were obsessed, seized by a notion that they¡¯d found a clue that would lead them to the source.


    ¡°Of course, they were never seen from again,¡± the old man rasped. ¡°I found some of their gear myself, on the southern slopes of the mountain just short of the waterfall that rages around this time of year. But their bodies were never found.¡±


    Most of the group gathered around the campfire had dozed off. This story was told a hundred times by different adventurers every year. Each one claiming to have in their possession a bow or a ring that belonged to the hunters. But Jinyoung had never heard these stories. He¡¯d never been to an event like this and he¡¯d never had the chance to interact with so many other adventurers.


    ¡°Enough about old legends, geezer!¡± a rowdy fighter cried out. ¡°We¡¯ve got a living legend right here!¡±


    The crowd roared in response and lifted all manner of tankards and cups into the air. More than once, someone checked Jinyoung¡¯s cup to make sure he had some beer or soju or something ungodly that someone had brewed in the ride up to Seorak.


    ¡°Cheers!!¡±


    At first, he had been curious to see how the players would react to his presence. And nervous. The last party he attended was a pre-graduation party with other cadets. Students, really. And now he was being clapped on the back and praised by men and women decades older than him. Even a few that were decades older than Hana.


    ¡°To the onion knight!¡± someone else cried.


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    And then there were more cheers and clinking of glasses. At some point, Jinyoung had started lifting the cup to his lips and holding it there for a moment before lowering it again. Regardless of his skills in battle, the last thing he wanted was to be laid out by a powerful ale.


    ¡°Tell us again, how¡¯d you find the whatchamacallit!¡±


    By far the most popular topic had been the hidden quest he¡¯d found. Hana had made sure that the cadets didn¡¯t tell a soul and the report she submitted was eyes-only for top brass at the Academy. So, of course, word spread like wildfire. There was even a rumor that the Player Society had internal memos recommending he be arrested. Again.


    Jinyoung stood and addressed the crowd, ¡°I¡¯ve told this story a hundred times, guys. Look, you can always go to the Academy and check out the report yourself. It¡¯s a hundred times more detailed than anything I can remember.¡±


    The groan that responded to him would¡¯ve made a bog of frogs proud. Jinyoung wobbled a bit, his feet made unstable by several cups of warm beer, and sat back down.


    ¡°But how?¡± a pretty rogue asked. ¡°How¡¯d you know where to look? How¡¯d you know there was something there?¡±


    Actually, she was really pretty. Much prettier than he¡¯d realized at first.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy,¡± he heard himself say. ¡°I just looked where the-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that.¡±


    Jinyoung felt small but strong hands pull him to his feet.


    Willow had a look on her face hard to describe. It was all at once smug, annoyed and amused. ¡°We¡¯ll be going now, the onion knight needs his beauty sleep.¡±


    She had dragged him far enough that the campfires looked like fairy lights in the distance. Once they were far enough that no one was listening, Jinyoung found something of his pride and struggled out of the young scholar¡¯s grip.


    ¡°What the hell is your problem? I was doing fine and¡­¡± The realization dawned on him slowly as the effects of the skill wore off. He could literally feel his pupils constricting.


    ¡°Shit. How close was I to-¡±


    ¡°A few more seconds and you¡¯d have spilled your guts.¡±


    Embarrassment is a funny emotion. Everyone gets to feel its warm embrace at some point in their lives, but it¡¯s always a surprise.


    ¡°Yeah. And you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ***


    The next morning was a merciful one. Of course, Hana knew what had happened the night before. But aside from a knowing smile when they set off in the morning without a word.


    Unfortunately, it was a slow morning. The region they were tasked with clearing was empty, leaving Jinyoung plenty of time to think about the night before. He thought of the stories the other players had told around the campfire. Some of them talked about a freelance fighter who was out in the woods on his own, killing hordes of monsters with his bare hands. Then, there were the many rumors of where the dungeon might actually be located. But most of all, he had time to reflect on how close he¡¯d come to telling a group of strangers he had abilities and skills that no one else had.

 The Stuff of Legend (5)

    The trio had made camp at midday after a less than fruitful morning. There were two options available to them: head south or north around the perimeter of the region, or head deeper into the east for bigger hunts. Willow and Hana wanted to circle around and hunt the perimeter, to stop any monsters before they could make it to nearby villages and towns. But Jinyoung¡­


    ¡°What about the mid-boss?¡±


    That was exactly what Hana didn¡¯t want to hear. One of the consequences of the Seorak Outbreak was the inevitable encounter with a mid-boss. Due to the hidden nature of its source, it could only be hunted once a year. It was a target. But more than that, it was a trophy.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why there are so many people here. They¡¯re all here because they want to hunt this thing, is that it?¡±


    Willow waited for Hana to answer, but the silence stretched on. So she answered for her.


    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re here. We¡¯re here to make sure that none of the people who live in the area wake up to monsters on their lawns.¡±


    The two opinions were fair to Hana¡¯s mind. The fact was she had wondered herself if they should be heading deeper in to hunt bigger game. It was an easy argument to make. That the experience of fighting bigger and stronger monsters would only allow them to help more people in the future. The only problem was that after a long career in the wilds, she¡¯d walked both paths. And she knew from experience that chasing fame, fortune and power was never ending.


    But that for each person to figure out on their own.


    ¡°We¡¯ll head south, check the quadrant right below us. After last night, there¡¯s a merchant¡¯s road that cuts through the forest I want to check on.¡±


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    Last night, while Jinyoung and Willow were enjoying the night party, Hana talked with the shopkeepers and traveling brokers. Several were moving on today, but they were worried about protection on the road. The players charged with clearing the road were known for cutting corners.


    ¡°We¡¯ll head in deeper and see if we can find the place where these damned things spawn, but only after we¡¯ve made sure the caravan heading out today is safe.¡±


    ***


    By the time they were close enough to hear the shouts, the three of them for a second had the same thought.


    We should¡¯ve come sooner.


    The shouts and explosions could be heard from a distance. Too far for any abilities to track down the caravan¡¯s whereabouts. Instead, the trio moved as quickly as they could towards the point in the road where they thought the merchants would most likely be.


    When they found them, it was utter chaos.


    A small army of lizardmen had camped out in the trees, not unlike the first ambush the Phoenix had run into. But this time, there was no one to warn the convoy so they took the brunt of a surprise attack. Two players were killed in the opening seconds leaving seven untrained civilians, a red mage and a rogue to deal with over 20 lizardmen. Some of the vehicles were mangled leaving the caravan stuck.


    Jinyoung and Hana ran directly at the fray while Willow ran in a wide circle to take up a position behind a tight group of trees. Once they were close enough, Jinyoung Dashed in and took the head off of one monster. Hana targeted four lizardmen closing in on the wounded mage and sent them flying with a well placed [shield bash].


    For a second it looked like they might turn the tide of battle. Willow slew two monsters on her own, targeting them with her crossbow and [magic bolt]. But this wasn¡¯t a small group of five or six monsters, it was a small army. Just by pure numbers, they began to beat the humans back. Jinyoung and Willow struggled to fight the monsters and protect the caravan, while a group of 10 had surrounded Hana and were attacking her mercilessly. She used defensive skills to prevent any real danger to her, but neither was she able to help the others.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Hana could only watch as the rogue took a swipe to her leg and went down on one knee. Six lizardmen stood between them and there was no way she could make it to her in time.


    And then something roared.

 The Stuff of Legend (6)

    Jinyoung watched as something dropped out of the sky and cratered in the dirt, sending out chunks of soil, wood and even rocks. He raised his hands to protect his eyes, so he couldn¡¯t get a good look when the thing threw itself at the nearest group of lizardmen. It was a flurry of limbs and bodies as it tore through them.


    Whatever it was, it was big. And it was frighteningly fast, like the queen bee had been. For a moment, he could only stare.


    ¡°Wake up, boy!¡±


    The shock of the thing speaking to him, more so that it was a human being, shook him awake. He immediately turned and engaged two lizardmen who had turned to run away. Still, he watched out of the corner of his eye as the man (as it turned out) punched and kicked his way through a group of seven.


    On his own, the bedraggled fighter took out 14 lizardmen while the Phoenix clan and the remnants of the caravan¡¯s own party killed eight. To Willow and Jinyoung, the man didn¡¯t look much different from a monster.


    The man wore the traditional garb of a fighter, but his gi was tattered. The material had been stained with monster blood, soaked in rivers and oceans and dried under the sun so much that it was stiff. Almost like armor unto itself. Which was interesting because the man wore no armor. He carried no weapons and even after the battle was over, he left for a short time to only retrieve a sack of clothes and supplies.


    When he walked towards Jinyoung and Willow, his long, tangled mess of hair only shifted slightly in the wind. Once he was close enough, he spoke.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Hana?¡±


    It took a moment for the words to even register.


    ¡°She¡¯s helping patch up the rogue,¡± Jinyoung responded. How does he know my sister?


    The man nodded and walked away in the direction of the caravan. Jinyoung and Willow took a moment and then continued moving the bodies of the lizardmen. Their bodies needed to be disposed of properly so they cleared a space to light a pyre. While they moved the corpses, they also had to check for supplies or materials that the lizardmen had on them. Scholars routinely harvested livers and kidneys, but that required chemicals and storage units. So instead, they went through and checked any pouches or belongings before lighting the pyre a fair distance from the makeshift camp the caravan members had set up by the road.


    When they rejoined the others, they were surprised to see the savage warrior sharing a quiet cup of tea with Hana. They weren¡¯t sure whether to approach or not, but Hana made the decision for them. She called them over to introduce the man.


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    ¡°This is Mr. Han. Mr. Han, this is Jinyoung and Willow.¡±


    ¡°You can stop calling me that , Hana. You¡¯re old enough to call me Dae now,¡± he replied gruffly. Dae stood up and looked at the two younger players. He smiled at Willow and performed a deep bow. Very traditional.


    When his eyes landed on Jinyoung, all he gave was a perfunctory nod. ¡°You.¡±


    It¡¯s hard to know how to respond to that. There are greetings and salutations. Then there are times when a person simply acknowledges your existence. This was obviously the latter.


    ¡°Have we met before?¡± Jinyoung could hear the edge in his own voice.


    The man let out a laugh. It was rough and almost cruel. ¡°Yes, boy. We¡¯ve met. But it¡¯s been some time, so I¡¯ll let it pass.¡±


    He turned to face Hana. ¡°I have some loose ends to clear up, so I¡¯ll meet you further in, by the falls. Until then.¡±


    He bowed deeply to Hana and Willow. To Jinyoung he nodded curtly and rumbled out, ¡°Boy¡± before leaving.


    It was quiet for a moment. Hana would have preferred that it stay that way, but she knew they had a journey to make.


    ¡°The caravan¡¯s patched up as well as it can be. They''ll be heading forward to the next checkpoint where they¡¯ll bury their dead and resupply. In the meantime, we¡¯ll-¡±


    Willow couldn¡¯t wait for Hana to finish her thought. ¡°Was that Han Dae? The fighter? Like the fighter?¡±


    The realization broke slowly on Jinyoung. Han Dae was a fireman up until the World Break. He had worked search and rescue during the events that followed and was one of the first players to max out his skills. That meant he had completely leveled the [stoneskin], [powered strike], and [warrior¡¯s call] skills in the fighter class. Hana herself had leveled just the [stoneskin] skill enough that she took very little damage against 10 lizardmen. No wonder Dae could fall out of the sky like that and continue fighting without a scratch. Unlike players from later generations, Dae had never moved past the fighter class. He had no weapon specializations and fought in unarmed, unarmored hand-to-hand combat. He was a legend.


    He looked to Hana for confirmation and she nodded her head. ¡°You should¡¯ve bowed.¡±


    Han Dae was also a friend of her father¡¯s. Technically, their father. The man who had adopted Jinyoung and Hana after the World Break. Dae had visited on multiple occasions while they were growing up and although he was a hard man, he was a good friend of the family.


    Hana continued with her briefing, ¡°We can talk more later. Mr. Han will be clearing out this region, while we head further in. Once he¡¯s done here, he¡¯ll meet up with us tonight for the remainder of the quest.¡±


    After the events of the day, Jinyoung just had to make sure. ¡°Does that mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, oppa. We¡¯re going to hunt the mid-boss.¡±


    QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak


    OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week


    Progress: 9,043 / 20,000


    REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)


    FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans

 The Stuff of Legend (7)

    QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak


    OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week


    Progress: 14,043 / 20,000


    REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)


    FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans


    The Seorak Outbreak took place in the northeastern region of Korea. A mountainous region with few flat plains that served as waypoints for travelers. Even before the Break, the mountains were known for being full of dangers. The woods grew thick enough to cover the sky making navigation impossible in some areas while the slopes were often made up of slick boulders that were as slippery as they were hard.


    The Phoenix headed north east deeper into the mountain carefully, making sure to keep an eye on their surroundings.


    Again, the shield knight made sure to take up the lead, but this time Jinyoung walked the line with her, occasionally activating his [scan+] skill to search the surroundings. Without any skills to help navigate, Willow brought up the rear, keeping her eyes open and searching for movement.


    ¡°Hana, there¡¯s something up ahead.¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s nose picked it out before his eyes did. It took him back to the dungeon with the black shrine. The corruption. The telltale miasma that hung in the air. As the mountain¡¯s incline made itself known, they started to see signs of corruption on the trees. Rotted wood left a sweet scent in the air while strange red vines reached out from the forest floor.


    ¡°Have you ever been in this area before, sunbae?¡± Willow was smart. The miasma could only come from two sources. It was either coming from the dungeon itself or the mid-boss.


    Hana nodded her head. ¡°A few years ago, I came here with another group. We passed through this area then, too. Nothing then.¡±


    Each of them had the same thought. Corruption only happened either in the presence of a break or a power monster, a mid-boss. It had to be.


    ¡°Jinyoung, you move up the slope of the mountain. Willow and I will head in opposite directions here. If you find more signs of corruption or the mid-boss, return immediately.¡± Hana looked at Jinyoung with hard eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Better be. Four minutes, go.¡±


    The three split up and headed in their own directions. This wasn¡¯t the D-tier dungeon from a week ago, nor was it like the dungeon 20 years ago. This was an outbreak quest and a mistake here could end in death. His or someone else¡¯s. The merchant¡¯s caravan had shown him that.


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    The slopes were slippery, but he made progress carefully. There were no signs of monsters and his [scan] told him nothing was close by. After a few minutes, he paused, took a quick look around and started heading back.


    Willow was the one to find the trail. It was a two minute run from her initial starting point. She followed the trail a bit until she found signs of the mid-boss itself before turning back.


    ¡°The mid-boss can¡¯t be further than a mile away, if that,¡± she reported breathlessly.


    Hana took a deep breath. Taking out the mid-boss would go a long way towards helping their standing in the community, not to mention the extra experience for Jinyoung and Willow.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who found something.¡± Hana describes additional tracks in her direction. Heavily armored players who had moved up the mountain from the north. ¡°We¡¯re not the only ones here, so we¡¯d better move fast.¡±


    The three moved back the way Willow had come from. The corruption was barely a few hours old, if that. Then they found the trail. Something big had cut a groove through the forest floor. Occasionally, the trail would leave the ground as the monster moved through lower branches before returning to its twisting path.


    They were so focused on their run that they nearly ran directly into another party led by the Fighter¡¯s Guild Master.


    ¡°Hold it, where¡¯s the fire?¡± he said with a chuckle.


    Between breaths, Willow attempted to explain but the Guild Master held up a hand.


    ¡°I know. But the Pegasus has already beat us to it. We should be getting the notification shortly.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Hana hissed.


    Jinyoung cocked an eyebrow, but the Guild Master was unfazed. More than that, his expression seemed to agree with Hana¡¯s outburst.


    ¡°They caught up with it at the edge of the forest here and are trying to push it to the clearing just below the mountain. We¡¯re heading up the slopes to get a better view if you want to join us. It sucks, but at least it should make for a good show.¡±


    ***


    Paying your dues, they called it. Whatever it was, the squire hated it. He had been running full-sprint for nearly 10 minutes. The party had cast multiple buffs giving him more stamina and increased agility, but he wasn¡¯t worried about getting tired. He was worried about the three ton monstrous venom snake that was trying to eat him.


    He pumped his legs hard, forcing them to carry him faster than was normally possible while zig-zagging through the trees. The massive monster behind him wasn¡¯t just fast, it was huge. It¡¯s tailed whipped back and forth, dislodging trees from the earth and tossing boulders from side to side. It sounded like a landslide.


    Just ahead, Jonas. Good boy.


    Only a few more meters and we¡¯ll get it off your back.


    He could see the clearing ahead. The sun was shining brightly there making it look like a safezone. Cyrus stood in the center, the light gleaming onto his full-armor. One day, that would be Jonas. One day, he would be the hero.


    The massive snake reeled its head back for a moment and darted forward with its fangs bared. The uneven terrain threw off its aim and it crashed into a tree sending shards of tree everywhere. The impact went off like a small explosion, throwing Jonas off his feet and sliding on the dirt and rubble.


    The squire immediately realized the danger he was in, but by the time he was up on his feet, the snake was on him. With a simple flick of his tail, he sent Jonas flying through the air. When he finally landed, he felt his arm twist at an awkward angle and a sharp burst of pain in his ribs.


    The last thing Jonas saw before he lost consciousness were the scales of the monster slowly wrapping themselves around his body.

 The Stuff of Legend (8)

    NOTICE: The MID-BOSS has been encountered by CLAN Pegasus.


    As such CLAN Pegasus has first claim to the MID-BOSS of the Seorak OUTBREAK.


    Do not engage.


    The party made it to a rest point overlooking the clearing after 10 minutes of hard trekking. They could hear the chaos down below, but the boulders and tree cover kept everything else out of sight.


    From their vantage point, they could see that Pegasus had laid a trap for the mid-boss. Cyrus stood in the center of a large clearing while two others hid in the treeline around him. Everyone was in position, all they needed was an opponent.


    They didn¡¯t have to wait long. A small figure bounced out of the treeline and came to a sliding stop. Jinyoung could barely make the figure out, but it was obvious they were hurt. The thing that came crashing out of the treeline behind him looked straight out of a nightmare.


    The simplest description was a snake. But far too big and horrifying to still fit the description. It was sleek and black with faintly glowing purple markings along its back. Just below its head, it had thick hairs or pins (it was hard to tell which).


    It made its way slowly to its immobilized prey and slowly wrapped him up in its coils.


    Willow moved to cast [arcane shot] and was immediately blinded by a warning in her vision.


    NOTICE: Do not engage.


    CLAN Pegasus has first claim to the MID-BOSS.


    ¡°Careful there,¡± the Guild Master warned. ¡°You don¡¯t have to like it, but Pegasus has the first crack at Nox Viper.¡±


    She swung around to face him. ¡°Are we supposed to watch as they let him die?¡±


    Hana put a hand on her shoulder and nodded back to the scene playing out. Cyrus had a hand on the hilt of his sword and was moving towards the monster.


    ***


    Two bolts of lightning shot out from the treeline to his right hitting the monster in the body and the head. Cyrus knew from experience that it wouldn¡¯t have much of an effect besides annoying the beast. It was both shielded and armored. Until they broke both, any magic and most physical attacks would have limited effects.


    When the giant snake head turned to face the treeline an arrow arced in from the opposite side, hitting the snake just below the jaw. A second later it exploded in a vicious fireball that sent the monster reeling.


    The shot should¡¯ve been in the head, Cyrus thought. He made a mental note to scold the hunter later.


    Markus, get our boy out of there.


    The body of the squire fell lifelessly to the ground. Thankfully, he was unconscious. Before the snake could react, the sorcerer teleported in, grabbed the boy, and teleported out. The MP drain would keep him out of the fight for a few minutes.


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    Got him, boss. I¡¯ll get him stabilized and get back as soon as I can.


    The clearing was empty and there wasn¡¯t another soul in sight, but Cyrus knew that everyone was watching. By now, the other parties had found one of the many vantage points from the mountain range or the forest itself to view the battle. That¡¯s why the scouts had chosen this clearing after all. Without Markus in the treeline, he¡¯d have to rely on Thina¡¯s aim.


    Thina, I need you to hit your marks on this one.


    There was no response, but he didn¡¯t expect one from her. Thina¡¯s job today was to provide cover fire from a stealthy position. And as long as she did as she was ordered, he didn¡¯t mind the silence.


    The paladin unsheathed his sword. The weight of it was heavy and unwieldy. Cyrus had always preferred axes, but swords had power. They were respected. Noble. He raised it far above his head and took a deep breath.


    ¡°For justice!!¡±


    The [rally charge] was a powerful one. Not just audibly, but the sound of his cry bounced through the trees and off the stone faces of the mountain range. It had the added effect of increasing the stats for any non-hostile players in the vicinity. Even players watching the battle from a distance felt invigorated.


    The viper¡¯s head snapped to attention, focusing on the tiny human in front of it. It reared back and hissed, flaring its hood. Looking very much like a cobra out of a nightmare. One moment it was rearing back, the next it was darting forward so quickly the audience of players instinctively pulled back. It closed the distance quickly, opening its jaws to reveal a set of wicked fangs before-


    Thunk! Thunk!


    Two arrows buried themselves in the meat of its body before exploding a second later, knocking the viper off its course. A third arrow flew and caught the viper in the head. The resulting explosion was so strong, it knocked the viper down completely. Putting it in a daze.


    Cyrus moved in quickly and swung a vicious cut at its head. The crowds roared when they saw the sword cut through like butter, ignoring the armor and shielding. He swung three more times before Nox Viper regained its bearings and moved to separate itself from the dangerous player.


    Not so fast. Thina, keep him down.


    In response, the silent hunter fired off three more arrows, knocking the monster off balance again and giving Cyrus another opening to cut it down.


    It was a simple strategy, one that had been perfected after multiple encounters with the mid-boss over the years. Hunters and mages used spells and enchanted arrows to keep the gigantic monster off-balance while melee combatants dealt damage at close range. For years, Seah had joined him at the Seorak Outbreak and provided backup.


    But that was then and this was now.


    Twice more Cyrus moved in and performed a flurry of cuts, dodging when he needed to. Even from a distance, he could hear the other players roaring. When the monster moved in too close or tried to move too far, Thina hit it with explosive arrows to bring it back in line.


    Okay, time to wrap this up. Markus, you ready?


    Yes, Cyrus. Jonas is stable and he apologizes for making a mess of things.


    The paladin grimaced. He¡¯d have to talk to the boy later.


    It¡¯s fine. But we¡¯re stretching the show on longer than it needs to be and I¡¯m sure the audience is getting bored. Time for the finale.


    They¡¯d choreographed this to death for the past three weeks. Originally, it had required a party of five, but increasing the number of combatants also meant the potential for friendly-fire. They¡¯d narrowed it down to three plus one to act as bait.


    Cyrus activated [stoneskin] and [warrior¡¯s call]. He¡¯d need the increased endurance for what came next. Four arrows flew in and hit their marks along the ground between the monster and Cyrus, giving the viper a brief reprieve from the sword strikes. The explosion tore up the earth and created a wall of fire. The smoke was so thick that Cyrus couldn¡¯t see the monster. But the monster could see him.


    The monster¡¯s head pierced through the smokey veil and exploded out the otherside like a horrific jack-in-the-box. Cyrus absorbed the blow with his sword and while he could¡¯ve easily ended it there, he let the monster push him back 10 feet.


    He could almost feel the audience getting up on their feet.

 The Stuff of Legend (9)

    Jinyoung watched with wide open eyes, absorbing every move and attack. He could see that while he was well trained, Cyrus still didn¡¯t prefer the sword. Once or twice, he saw the paladin¡¯s free hand press against the sword guard when attacking or defending. It was a habit Jinyoung had seen countless times before when his friend still used an ax.


    The earth shook from the battle. The constant explosions and the force of the giant snake caused deep rumblings in the earth. From their position on the mountain, the party could see boulders shaken loose from their foundations and tree roots shifted loose from the soil.


    But then there were the three arrows. They arced out of the forest, just like the others, but they missed their mark so clearly. They were giving the monster an opening. The Guild Master and his party groaned before jumping to their feet after the monster attacked Cyrus, seemingly cornering him.


    ¡°See that?¡±


    Hana was standing behind him with her arms crossed. Unlike the others including Jinyoung himself, Hana and Willow watched with apathetic expressions on their faces. That didn¡¯t make sense unless-


    ¡°It¡¯s a show?¡± he mumbled. Unbelieving.


    His sister nodded. ¡°Like a bullfight. It¡¯s been choreographed to perfection. It¡¯s no wonder Seah isn¡¯t here.¡±


    Willow leaned forward and said, ¡°I feel bad for the squire.¡±


    ¡°I kind of feel bad for the viper,¡± Jinyoung heard himself say.


    ¡°Here it comes,¡± Hana said. ¡°The big finale.¡±


    ***


    The timing has to be right.


    Cyrus ducked low as Nox Viper¡¯s tail sailed overhead. He brought up his sword and readied the [rally charge].


    ¡°For glory!!¡±


    This time, the ground shook and the trees swayed from the force of the skill. Cyrus prided himself on the effectiveness of his party buff. This was a rare chance to give others a glimpse at how much power he had.


    Just on cue, Markus¡¯ lighting bolts flashed down and crashed on the monster, shattering its shielding. A volley of arrow shots flew in sideways striking the creature¡¯s thick scales. None of the arrows exploded or even pierced the armor. They weren¡¯t meant to.


    The moment the snake turned to face the source of the arrows, Cyrus rushed in and used [powered strike] to focus power into his legs before driving them into the earth, propelling himself off the ground. It was an old fighter¡¯s trick that worked beautifully. The monster never even noticed until Cyrus brought the blade down with a [charged hit] cleaving its head (and the majority of its body) in two.


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    Just for good measure, Thina loosed two explosive arrows, detonating the body of the beast and putting it down definitively.


    ***


    The notification appeared to everyone in the quest area. Even those who weren¡¯t close enough to see the fight.


    Nox Viper has been defeated.


    The Guild Master stood up and brushed the dust off himself. It was time to get back to work. The mid-boss had been discovered earlier than he¡¯d hoped.


    QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak


    OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week


    Progress: 14,310 / 20,000


    REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)


    FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans


    Less than 300 monsters had been hunted during the mid-boss battle. If they were lucky, the day would end with 80% of the monsters hunted. Even 20% would be difficult to finish by the designated time, but he¡¯d done it before. Not to mention Hana had mentioned that Dae was roaming these woods somewhere wreaking havoc on the plant life and monsters alike.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you back at base for the festivities tonight, Hana.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming, sir?¡±


    He felt like he should go. His bones ached and his muscles were exhausted, but his party had strength to go on.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯ll leave that to you all. We¡¯ve got enough energy to hunt down a few more¡­ Right, men?¡± He shouted the last bit to his party who gave half-hearted thumbs up and grumble-roared in response.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we do some more hunting before we head in for the night?¡± Willow asked.


    ¡°There are at least 200 players in our immediate area. We¡¯ll be tripping over other parties chasing after each monster.¡± Hana shook her head. ¡°No, the best thing we can do is head back for the night and get a fresh start in the morning once the field is cleared.¡±


    ***


    That night, all anyone could talk about was the Pegasus clan. Each bonfire had a different version of the events being told. To some, the battle was neverending. A test of skilled men and a beast that stretched on as long as the sun held fire. When the smoke finally cleared, only one lone paladin stood between the leviathan and a fallen comrade. A lone paladin that was able to pluck victory from a certain and gruesome defeat.


    Another retelling told of a quick and decisive victory by a single warrior standing against the darkness. A poisonous snake that had taken the lives of scores of players before one man stood up against it. A lone warrior with the strength of hundreds who could strike with lightning and move in a blinding flash of light. A single man who could swing a sword and cut through stone while controlling the elements.


    Hana walked through the crowds and heard enough of them to turn her stomach. And she¡¯d spent enough time with Cyrus to know that this was the point. Pegasus¡¯ goal today wasn¡¯t to save lives or even defeat the mid-boss. Their goal was to build a legend. And she hated them for it.


    QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak


    OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week


    Progress: 14,521 / 20,000


    REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)


    FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans

 The Light of Day (1)

    QUEST: OUTBREAK at Seorak


    OBJECTIVE: Kill 20,000 monsters in the Seorak QUEST Area within one week


    Progress: 14,521 / 20,000


    REWARD: 2,000,000 GOLD (each party will receive a portion of the reward)


    FAILURE: The Seorak region will no longer be safe for humans


    Willow had suspected and Jinyoung had an inkling, but the only one of the three who truly knew what the next morning would look like was Hana. The party had taken up temporary residence in a shop at the edge of a small abandoned town. There were plenty of roads, but most importantly, it was far enough from the town¡¯s center that celebrations like the one last night wouldn¡¯t keep them awake for too long.


    The last Jinyoung saw, most of the parties were still out. Planning to drink and enjoy the merriment well into the night. But now, in the morning, he could see that the town had emptied out.


    ¡°It happens, especially with trophy events like this.¡±


    Most of the merchants had left, but the Guild Master had made assurances that enough would stay to support the few parties that stayed behind to complete the outbreak quest. They all gathered in the town square, a sizable number but nowhere close to the near-military might of the day before.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone!¡± the Guild Master shouted. ¡°I see that you all had nothing better to do with your day!¡±


    That elicited a few chuckles from the group.


    ¡°The mission is the same. We¡¯ve got about six thousand more of the slimy bastards in the mountains that need to be cleared before the week is out. We don¡¯t need a repeat of Wolmido.¡±


    The crowd grumbled and a few of the older players winced at the mention of their greatest failure.


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    ¡°We¡¯ll be splitting into two factions. The first will be tasked with hunting monsters in the quest area. The second will be tasked with defending the town in case of attack. We still have wounded here recovering before they can make the trip out.¡±


    During the course of the outbreak, more than a few players had been injured. Ambushes like the one the Phoenix had encountered on their first day were common and less-experienced parties had fallen prey to similar attacks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, all the weaker monsters have been killed so you¡¯ll be running into armed lizardmen out there. Understood?¡± The crowd roared in the affirmative.


    ¡°Good, then get out there and let¡¯s clear this quest!¡±


    ***


    Dae reunited with the party just after the Guild Master¡¯s speech. While Jinyoung wasn¡¯t thrilled to be spending the remainder of the quest with a grump, he was glad to have him around. If only to complete the quest faster.


    ¡°We still have about three thousand monsters to clear and with our current numbers, it should take no longer than two or three days.¡± Hana had spent the majority of last night thinking about her plans for the next few days and realized that Dae¡¯s presence was a boon. Not just to her, but to Jinyoung. ¡°While we¡¯re clearing the forest, we¡¯ll also be training. Willow, I¡¯ll be helping you focus on improving your spell proficiency while Jinyoung focuses on his combat skills.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not a scholar, sunbae. How are you going to help?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t teach you any spells, but I can raise your and everyone else¡¯s defense to minimize the risk of injury. We¡¯ll start from there.¡±


    Jinyoung raised his hand and spoke. ¡°Wait, then who¡¯ll be training me?¡±


    ¡°Me,¡± a gruff voice rumbled. The smile on Dae¡¯s face was wicked. And purposefully so.


    Jinyoung had forgotten the ogre of a man was still there. He¡¯d been quietly listening to everyone else speak and now seemed only too happy to speak up. It was unnerving.


    ¡°You?¡± the novice stammered. ¡°We¡¯re not even the same class!¡±


    Hana sighed. ¡°No, but Mr. Han¡¯s the most experienced warrior in the country. He¡¯ll be able to help you improve your combat skills.¡±


    The shield knight of the blade looked at the two young players in her care. ¡°Yesterday should¡¯ve been a wake up call. You saw the battle with the mid-boss. We¡¯re nowhere ready to take on a monster of that caliber or anything close to it. Right?¡±


    The last bit was aimed at Jinyoung. All his enthusiasm yesterday had been tempered by the stiff realization that he was only level 17 and his skills, while certainly useful, had nowhere near the destructive capability of even a basic scholar, rogue or fighter.


    His sister¡¯s gaze was piercing and it was all he could do not to respond.


    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s get started.¡±

 The Light of Day (2)

    Everyone had heard of Wolmido Island. It was located about a kilometer off the northwest coast of the country, next to a city called Incheon. In the early 70''s, the government expanded the island and built a sustained concrete bridge populated with business and homes, connecting it to the mainland. For a time, it was a tourist destination for locals. There were roller coasters, carnivals, and a Ferris wheel that became a permanent fixture in the region''s skyline.


    After the World Break, the island became a refuge for those who had lost their homes. There were only a limited number of access points to the island which made it easy to defend. A fort was established and players settled in large enough numbers to encourage a thriving player economy. The island had never thrived more than it had in those early months.


    Then came the Second Wave. One year after the World Break, a second round of dungeon breaks occurred across the globe in sudden and overwhelming numbers. This time, the breaks targeted areas of high player concentrations.


    The break happened somewhere near the Wolmido theme park. It was the largest dungeon break anyone had ever seen. Even with an army of players, the masses of monsters that poured out of the gate crisscrossed the island like a plague. It was three full months of fighting before an outbreak quest was announced. Locals tried their best, but were unable to fulfill the requirements.


    One year, three months and seven days after the World Break, the Society called for a full evacuation of the island. Wolmido was lost.


    ***


    Training at the Academy was separated into lower and upper class divisions. Once a cadet mastered basic skills and knowledge, they could engage in field training as an upperclassman. But lowerclassmen had to engage in physical exercises like weightlifting, running and basic weapons handling in addition to class lessons. It was exhausting, but a necessary step for the growth of a player before they headed into the field. In short, field training was dangerous but fun while on-campus training was monotonous and exhausting, but safe.


    Jinyoung''s training was the worst of both worlds. In order to help him complete his skill quests, Dae had tied training weights to his legs. He tried to protest, concerned about how it would affect his mobility.


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    "Good! That''s the point, boy. If your quest requires you to use [dash+] to move, then you need to use it as much as possible!" Then he laughed, a foul guttural sound. And secondly, the onion knight was tasked with using [charge] as much as possible.


    Any concerns the novice had were confirmed in their first encounter of the day. Hana spotted four lizardmen by a river. Rather than take up positions around the small group, Jinyoung was tasked with engaging them in close quarters while Willow would rely on her basic spells to provide cover from afar.


    ¡°Any tips, old man?¡± Jinyoung asked mockingly.


    Dae shrugged his massive shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t die. And don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    Willow and Hana took up positions upriver while Jinyoung was downriver, just inside the treeline. Quickly, he burst from cover and pumped his legs hard, trying to cut down the distance between himself and the monsters. The rocks under his feet alerted the monsters immediately who turned to face him.


    It was only a few seconds before Jinyoung could feel the burn in his calves.


    This isn¡¯t going to work.


    From a distance, he could see Willow gathering her mana to cast a spell. Sparks of light flew from her fingers and he could see brief flashes of light, but nothing that was going to kill a monster.


    Once he was about 10 feet away, he [dashed]. Perfectly timed and executed, the [dash] placed him in the center of the four lizardmen. Immediately, he activated [charge] and swiveled on his heel to execute a wide slash. It felt exactly as it did at the marketplace dungeon in the city. Except for one thing. He felt the resistance as his sword blew through two of the lizardmen, but two others dodged. And the extra weight on his legs caused him to lose balance and splay out on the rocks.


    On the ground, dizzy and exhausted, he was completely open to the remaining two lizardmen. Jinyoung turned around to look back at Willow who was still struggling to weaponize her mana and knew immediately she wouldn¡¯t be able to. Not before the lizardmen gouged out an eye or ate part of his liver.


    Jinyoung barely had a glimpse of the hulking mass of grizzled, angry, Korean man grab the two lizardmen before throwing them overhand into boulders by the river. The monsters landed with a disgusting splat and crack as they mangled bodies came to rest in the water.


    Dae smiled, satisfied with his throw. ¡°Maybe this training thing won¡¯t be so bad afterall.¡±

 The Light of Day (3)

    In the early days after the World Break, players correctly assumed that the four main job classes corresponded to ranged magical attack (scholar), close ranged physical and magical attacks (rogue), all-around physical attack and defense (fighter), and ranged physical attacks (sharpshooter).


    But as time went on, they realized that each job class had different specialties that changed as players leveled up. Fighters¡¯ skills evolve as they level up, allowing for versatility when it comes to skill use. Hunters¡¯ have skill proficiencies which require mastering certain skills as prerequisites before learning later skills.


    But the scholar¡¯s class and existence of the spell pool meant that while scholar¡¯s could learn a nearly unlimited number of spells as long as they possessed the MP and mana proficiency to do so. In theory, a level 14 scholar could cast [lightning storm] as well as a level 50 [wizard]. Of course, they were less likely to cast it properly and there was a good chance they¡¯d kill themself in the process. There was no substitute for experience.


    Willow had dedicated her youth to learning as much as she could about the different job classes. Instead of spending all her time exploring dungeons and fighting monsters, she¡¯d spent hours studying strategy and the player meta. Of course, her preference to read rather than fight raised eyebrows. More than anything, it led to whispers from her fellow cadets.


    ¡°Everyone else is training in the field,¡± they would say. ¡°What makes her different?¡±


    They knew that cadets needed to train in the field. They knew that reliable adventurers needed to know how to hunt in parties. And they knew that cadets who didn¡¯t have enough experience in the field didn¡¯t get sponsored by clans.


    Of course, she heard the whispers. And she knew that it wasn¡¯t just the cadets, but some of the instructors who turned their nose up at her. For not doing her part. For not fitting in.


    But Willow knew things, too. Willow knew that most cadets worked for years before they could join a guild. Willow knew that most cadets choose their job class based on popular trends, based on what others were or weren¡¯t doing. And most of all, Willow knew she didn¡¯t want to be like the other cadets.


    ***


    ¡°That means while the boy¡¯s class might be unique, it isn¡¯t much different from a fighter¡¯s class, is it?¡±


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    Jinyoung bristled. After a long day of grueling training, the party had returned to the abandoned resort. Hana and Dae spent the majority of the day overseeing their exhausted young wards. Not to mention, Jinyoung was getting sick of being called ¡°boy¡± every few minutes. But¡­


    QUEST: The Path of INNER STRENGTH (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Deal 10,000 DMG with CHARGED attacks.


    Current progress: Complete


    REWARD: [CHARGE+]


    New (+) ASPECT Unlocked!


    [CHARGE] is now [CHARGE+].


    The PLAYER enters a [CHARGED] state for up to 1 minute.


    While [CHARGED+], all PLAYER STATS are increased including AGILITY and all PLAYER debuffs are removed.


    Dae¡¯s training regimine, exhausting and ridiculous as it was, had directly led to him completing one of his class quests. Unfortunately, his progress on the [dash] quest was less than he¡¯d hoped.


    QUEST: The Path of the WIND (II)


    OBJECTIVE: Use [DASH+] to move across 10,000 km of distance


    Current Progress: 1.9 km (0.02%)


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    ¡°What¡¯re you staring at, boy?¡±


    Dae had interrupted his conversation with Hana to intrude on Jinyoung¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°He means well, Jinyoung,¡± Hana cautioned. The shield knight had a lot of respect for the old fighter, but she knew enough to see that Jinyoung was barely keeping his growing anger in check.


    Instead of responding, Jinyoung chose the safer option and changed the subject. ¡°How¡¯s your protege doing, Hana?¡±


    Willow¡¯s trials weren¡¯t as straightforward as Jinyoung¡¯s. The onion knight class required hard work and repetition, whereas a scholar¡¯s spells were one part concentration and one part control.


    ¡°Willow¡¯s made some headway learning to focus her mana. If she keeps this up, she¡¯ll be able to cast basic spells in a few days.¡±


    As if to show her progress, Willow focused her mana. With a thought she changed the elemental makeup to ice, then fire, then produced a sharp burst of light before it faded all together.


    ¡°Looks good to me,¡± the fighter grumbled.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Willow huffed out. It had taken an entire day just to hold the mana in her hand for longer than a second. Now, she could hold for as long as she had mana.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to know how much mana to use and how to control it. If I knew how much mana it required to stabilize the mana in my hand, I could start casting spells tomorrow. But I can¡¯t know, unless I¡¯ve gotten it exactly right. So for now, I just have to keep trying until-¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Willow, could you do that again?¡±

 The Light of Day (4)

    Of the four base classes provided by the system, the scholar class was known to be exceptionally expensive. It wasn¡¯t just the guild fees, either. Weapons for focusing ranged magical attacks were more expensive than other basic weapons and the lack of defensive or evasive skills early on meant that scholars required better armor than their more physical counterparts.


    But most importantly, learning to focus mana took months if not years. And until that power was mastered, a scholar was scarcely better than a No Class player. It was rare for clans to take on first-year scholars and rarer still for them to sponsor a scholar¡¯s guild membership. But Hana had seen enough of Willow to see that she had potential. And with barely a day¡¯s worth of training (from a shield knight, no less), Willow had made the same progress you¡¯d expect from a month of training at mage¡¯s university.


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyes narrowed. During the day, he¡¯d been too busy focusing on the weights and his own exhaustion to notice. But now, with Willow seated only a few feet away, he could have a closer look. More than that, he could [scan+] her.


    ¡°Willow, could you do that again?¡±


    He saw-


    - the mana flowed from her torso, through her arm into her hand where it swirled like a whirlpool. Some of the flow was smooth, but most of it was turbulent. Bleeding out.


    ¡°Can you¡­ slow it down? It looks almost wasteful. Like the water¡¯s overflowing out of a cup.¡±


    Willow raised an eyebrow, but nodded and put her mind to the task.


    The flow slowed. And so too did the turbulence. Instead of a whirlpool, it looked more like a softly spinning globe.


    For Willow, the feedback was immediate. Willow instantly felt the difference. But more than that, she knew exactly how much mana to focus into her hand. She knew how to focus the mana into her hand.


    She knew.


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    ***


    The next morning, Jinyoung¡¯s feet dragged through the dirt. It was too early for ¡°jaunt through the forest¡± as Dae had put it. Of course, it was less of a jaunt and more of a sprint through the brush trying to avoid tripping over tree roots and close-calls with sudden drops and the occasional naturally formed pit.


    By the time he came to a stop, Jinyoung felt like he was back in the Academy¡¯s cadet boot camp. Which could only make sense since Dae had instituted the boot camp during his tenure as instructor.


    ¡°Time to put your cards on the table, boy.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, old man?¡±


    ¡°Hana told me, not everything mind you, but enough. She says that your skills work differently from everyone else. Not just that, but they level differently, too.¡±


    Jinyoung shut his mouth. Hana had been the one to tell him the dangers of sharing this information. And, yet, if she¡¯d told Dae it had to be for a good reason.


    ¡°She said you¡¯ve unlocked two skill aspects and-¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± Jinyoung interjected. ¡°I just unlocked one yesterday, but I didn¡¯t want to try it. At least, not around the others. Just in case.¡±


    Dae held up a hand in understanding. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with a bit of caution before you try out a new skill.¡±


    Jinyoung nodded. Now, it was common for players to know exactly the effects of any given skill before they unlocked it. But in the early days, players had to unlock new skills to see how they worked. That resulted in players having to change their entire battle strategies because a skill that once offered increased endurance now doubled that endurance but also reduced agility and speed. And, on occasion, skills could be dangerous. Especially when tried for the first time by novices.


    The onion knight waved a hand around his surroundings. ¡°Is that why you brought me out here?¡±


    ¡°You can never be too safe, boy.¡±


    Dae stepped back and nodded at Jinyoung.


    Jinyoung took a deep breath.


    [Charge+].


    He felt it immediately. It was the same electricity he felt running through his body when he used it before, but different. Before, he felt empowered but weighted by the increase in power. Now, it felt like the energy was wrapped around him pulling him up, if anything. He didn¡¯t just feel stronger, he felt lighter. Faster.


    ¡°How do you feel, boy?¡±


    Jinyoung (NOVICE CLASS, Level 17)


    STRENGTH: 17 + 3.4


    WISDOM: 17 + 3.4


    AGILITY: 17 + 3.4


    ENDURANCE:17 + 3.4


    LUCK: 17 + 3.4


    Jinyoung smiled.


    ¡°Awesome.¡±

 The Light of Day (5)

    The difference between one day of training and the next was significant and noticeable. Willow had moved past simply manifesting mana in her hand to actively casting spells. An encounter with monsters meant a combination of crossbow bolts, [arcane shot], [ember] and [frost] to overwhelm and distract while Jinyoung moved in and cleaned up their enemies.


    For Jinyoung, his new ability was a mixed blessing. On the one hand, having [charge+] made everything significantly easier. The increased strength meant that Jinyoung could bear more weight while the increased agility allowed him to move quicker and react faster. But on the other hand¡­ Dae increased the weights on his legs. And instead of focusing on movement and skill use, his instructor had moved on to weapon proficiency.


    ¡°You¡¯re still holding the goddamned sword wrong, boy!¡± Dae shouted.


    The party encountered four lizardmen and, again, the two elder players stood back while Jinyoung and Willow worked overtime to defeat the monsters.


    ¡°What does it matter? I¡¯m still killing them,¡± he shot back.


    The bastard sword was doing its job and, as far as Jinyoung could tell, he was wielding it just fine. Moving faster with the [charge+] meant Jinyoung could take advantage of openings and kill his opponents more easily. As if to make his point, Jinyoung cut down a monster, splitting it down the middle.


    ¡°It means that you¡¯ll dull the blade faster, but more than that you¡¯re using too much energy, boy.¡±


    Is it just my imagination or is he getting more annoying as the day goes on? Jinyoung wondered to himself. He moved to cut through a lizardman holding a halberd before it could complete a swing while another lizardman¡¯s hands caught fire. Willow followed up with two crossbow bolts to the head.


    ¡°How would you know?¡± Jinyoung countered. ¡°And why am I even taking orders from you? You don¡¯t even use a sword!¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t need one, onion knight. I¡¯ve forgotten more about swords than you¡¯ve ever learned.¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Jinyoung saw Willow raise a hand. The [arcane shot] hit the last lizardman as it tried to run and get out of range of the party.


    ¡°Then prove it, old man.¡± Jinyoung walked over to the corpse of a lizardman and picked up a rusted sword and tossed it to Dae¡¯s feet.


    ¡°One-on-one, the first one to land a blow wins. Full-contact.¡±


    Hana closed her eyes. She¡¯d been expecting this for some time now. Mr. Han¡¯s taunts had been getting to Jinyoung and her brother was not one to take insults well. No matter who was sending them his way.


    Dae bent low and picked up the weapon. It was a rusted two-hand sword. Old, but usable. He grinned a wicked smile.


    ¡°Sure, boy. I¡¯ll play this game of yours. But I won¡¯t be needing any of my skills to teach you this lesson.¡±


    Dae hadn¡¯t fought with a sword in a decade. Not since he¡¯d focused on the way of the fist. But the sword felt like an old friend in his hands. He shivered at the thought.


    ¡°Mr. Han?¡±


    Dae looked up and met Hana¡¯s eyes. For a second, he saw her as a little girl and her brother as a petulant little boy.


    He¡¯s a petulant little boy, he thought.


    Dae nodded back.


    The shield knight¡¯s face was grim. She raised both hands and then lowered them quickly. ¡°Begin.¡±


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    ***


    Holy shit he¡¯s fast.


    Jinyoung had seen Dae fight, but he had assumed incorrectly that it was the use of skills to move quickly during battle. But the second Hana lowered her hands, the veteran fighter moved closed the distance and swung his rusted sword before Jinyoung could take a breath. He barely raised his own sword in time, but the awkward angle meant he took the full brunt of the swing.


    CLANGG!!


    The force pushed him back and it felt like his entire right arm was vibrating.


    ¡°Not a great start, boy.¡±


    ¡°Screw you, old man.¡±


    Jinyoung activated his [charge+] and immediately [dashed], positioning himself behind Dae. And just as he had in multiple battles, he put both his hands on his sword and swung it with his entire body. The sword moved quickly and where it should have encountered resistance, it swung through empty air.


    The old fighter simply ducked and waited the spin to bring Jinyoung¡¯s sword back around (this time much slower) and parried hard.


    CLANGG!!


    The force of the blow knocked Jinyoung off his feet.


    ¡°That only works against weak monsters and idiots, boy. I am neither.¡±


    It had only been 20 seconds and Dae had already knocked Jinyoung off his feet. All the while taunting him which only made him angrier.


    This time Dae moved in with his sword and pushed his advantage. Each time Jinyoung missed his timing on a block or attacked at an awkward angle, Dae punished him with a hard-parry or a stiff shove.


    ¡°Stop swinging so hard, boy. You¡¯re pulling yourself out of line and leaving yourself open.¡±


    CLANGG!!


    ¡°Bad parry, boy. Your timing was too early.¡±


    CLANGG!!


    ¡°You missed, boy. Is that [charge+] skill the only one in your arsenal?¡±


    CLANGG!!


    Only two minutes in and Jinyoung was exhausted. Not just exhausted, he had employed every trick he¡¯d learned or come up with during his career as a player. None of it worked. And any mistake he made was punished.


    ¡°What happened to, ¡®Screw you, old man¡¯?¡±


    And he was getting really tired of the old man¡¯s taunts.


    Since leaving the black shrine, all of Jinyoung¡¯s opponents had been monsters that, while sometimes stronger than him, were never smarter than him. He never had to outsmart a monster, only outfight it.


    He needed a new strategy. One that didn¡¯t involve powerful strikes that left him wide open or difficult parries. He needed to move faster and read his opponent¡¯s movements better.


    Jinyoung slowly got back up, took a breath, and [scanned+] Dae. The skill alerted Jinyoung of the next attack with just enough time for him to block it.


    ¡°Finally getting the hang of it, eh?¡±


    Using [scan+], he blocked the follow-up barrage of slashes and cuts. Jinyoung was waiting for a heavy strike, one that required Dae to commit. It finally came in the form of a two-handed overhead slash that sent Jinyoung¡¯s skill blaring.


    He raised his sword to telegraph a block, but [dashed] back instead, letting the slash fall harmlessly in front of him. And a split second later he [dashed] back in, but instead of cutting with his sword, he [charged], putting his full power into a shoulder tackle. The momentum of the dash and the power of the [charge+] crashed into Dae and pushed him backwards until he fell over. Jinyoung was on him in a [dash], the tip of his blade on Dae¡¯s chest.


    Willow and Hana cheered. Even Dae cracked a smile.


    ¡°Good job, boy. You¡¯re getting the hang of it.¡±


    Jinyoung wanted to respond, but something caught his eye.


    ¡°Jinyoung?¡±


    He looked up at the mountain and saw it. A glint.


    ¡°Guys, I think I see something.¡±


    ***


    It was another 300 meters up the mountain when they found it. An empty riverbed that was once fed by a waterfall that had since dried out, probably due to a rockslide during Cyrus¡¯ battle with the Nox Viper. But the waterfall had covered a cave entrance that led deep into the mountain.


    ¡°Be careful, Jinyoung,¡± Hana cautioned.


    He took a look at his sister and slowly made his way to the mouth of the cave. After a few steps, he could see it.


    QUEST: Seorak Mountain DUNGEON


    OBJECTIVE: Kill the BOSS of the Seorak Mountain DUNGEON


    REWARD: Clear the Seorak Mountain DUNGEON

 The Light of Day (6)

    QUEST: Seorak Mountain DUNGEON


    OBJECTIVE: Kill the BOSS of the Seorak Mountain DUNGEON


    REWARD: Clear the Seorak Mountain DUNGEON


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that something?¡±


    The cave was wide enough to drive a semi-truck through. The entirety of it was slick, the rocks smoothed by decades of running water. The Guild Master of the Fighter¡¯s Guild was impressed.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Dae. I¡¯m guessing the fight with Nox Viper plugged the flow somewhere up the mountain, drying this cave and the waterfall out.¡± He could hear his voice echo in the cave. It sounded almost like a whisper, beckoning him to enter. ¡°We might¡¯ve never found it if you folks hadn¡¯t stumbled across it.¡±


    The two grizzled men walked back down to the empty riverbed where four parties of players had gathered. Immediately after discovering the quest, Hana had put out a call to Muho. From there word spread quickly and within the hour, the Guild Master arrived with the other parties in tow.


    At his approach, sixteen pairs of eyes focused on the Guild Master. Waiting for orders.


    ¡°This is a first-encounter. We¡¯ll be going in blind with no intel on what kind of boss is in there, so we¡¯ll be taking full precautions. If you don¡¯t want to go in, now¡¯s the time to speak up.¡± A silence answered back from the group.


    ¡°Good, then make ready and we¡¯ll head in within the hour.¡±


    ***


    Willow couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us?¡±


    Hana had hoped Dae would change his mind, but knew enough about the man to know better than to attempt to change it for him.


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    ¡°Someone has to complete the outbreak quest, just in case,¡± Dae replied.


    ¡°But if we clear the Seorak Mountain dungeon, that quest won¡¯t matter!¡±


    Willow hadn¡¯t spent much time with Dae, not enough to be attached to the old man. But she knew what everyone else knew: Dae was the best fighter in the country. He was a legend.


    ¡°If you¡¯re in there with us, then-¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just as likely to bring the mountain down on our heads as he is to kill the boss,¡± Jinyoung cut in. ¡°Not to mention¡­ he¡¯s right. With four parties in the dungeon, that¡¯s four less parties out in the quest area. If something happens to us or if we pull out of the boss fight, chances are we¡¯ll all be out of commission. We don¡¯t know how long the water will stay blocked off so we need to move quickly.¡±


    ¡°Then, why-!¡±


    ¡°His reasons are his own, Willow,¡± Hana said. ¡°And he doesn¡¯t need to share them with us.¡±


    Dae looked up and nodded to Hana in appreciation.


    ¡°Good luck in there.¡±


    ***


    The slippery smooth rocks made progress slow by necessity. The abundance of large boulders made it easier with handholds and places to grip in order to pull yourself along. But after an age of clambering up the rocks, the incline leveled off allowing the players to walk upright through the cave.


    At first, the players mumbled to themselves. A mixture of excitement for being the first party to fight the boss of the Seorak mountain and concern with the loss of Dae Han¡¯s fighting power. Eventually, the conversation quieted and as they entered the bowels of the mountain, talk became sparse and the atmosphere was tense.


    A clan of sharpshooters, led by a ranger, spotted it first and voiced their discovery to the others. ¡°Up ahead. Incursion.¡±


    The slick black walls of the cave were uniform, but up ahead, a concrete wall with broken windows jutted out of the ground and reached up into the ceiling. It looked unnatural, but there were no seams. As if the wall had simply grown out of the ground.


    Further ahead, there were more signs of incongruence as urban structures and objects decorated the cave like the work of some mad designer. A fire hydrant hung from the ceiling like a stalactite and a bus bench lay on the ground.


    ¡°Eyes open. If it¡¯s here, it¡¯ll be close.¡±


    Soon enough, they heard. A rhythmic sound coming from deeper in the cave, gently at first but then unmistakably loud enough to denote the size of the source.


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    A sharpshooter leading the pack turned around and held a finger to his lips. It wasn¡¯t easy, but 17 players did their best to make their way through the cafe system quietly.

 The Light of Day (7)

    The sound grew louder and louder until there was no mistaking it. Breathing.


    By the volume, it had to be something big. Something that could survive underneath a mountain like this. At some point, the expanded party had crossed a barrier separating the air outside and air within the caves. The atmosphere grew humid and the temperature jumped up to being nearly unbearable.


    The entirety of the cave was slick with moisture and it was impossible not to notice the haze of steam and water vapor.


    The incursions didn''t grow fewer. Willow spotted more than a few structures as they quietly made their way through the rocky tunnels.


    The paths narrowed until everyone was on their knees, squeezing through narrow openings and gaps between boulders. With one last squeeze, Willow pushed herself loose into... open air. Her feet slipped off the slick rocks and she felt her body move shift dangerously. She nearly cried out before Hana grabbed her and tucked her back into the wall.


    It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but she could see them were in a large chamber. Above them, another tunnel fed further into the mountain. It must have been the source of the waterfall because while a small stream still flowed out, a boulder had collapsed preventing any more water from flowing through.


    Willow looked down and stared at the scene below them.


    The incursion created a small city below them. Buildings grew out of the ground, some with large reflective glass windows while others were built out of steel and concrete. But it was the thing at the center that caught everyone''s eye. A large lizard-like creature with leathery wings, sleeping on the rocky floor.


    She heard Jinyoung whisper beside her. "Holy shit."


    Everyone knew what it was. It was a monster beyond anything she''d dreamed of facing, especially at her current level. A beast that most players avoided due to their pure lethality.


    It was a goddamned dragon.


    ***


    "Anyone order a fire-breathing chicken?" the Guild Master quipped. For once, no one felt the need to laugh at his comment.


    Hana took stock of the players in each party. The Thunder Bolt clan had led the group here simply because they had 3 ranged sharpshooter players. In the ensuing battle, they, along with any other ranged players, would have to keep their distance. Including herself, there was a war knight, a monk, a squire, a soldier and the Grand Master who could reliably engage in close-quarters combat.


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    "I think we need to separate into functions," she started. "We can have the sharpshooters take up elevated positions while hand-to-hand fighters spread out on the ground floor.¡±


    "What about the others?" a hunter inquired. He thumbed back at Willow and Jinyoung. "We can''t have them getting in the way of things."


    "Willow can be back up," Hana responded. "She¡¯ll post up with the other scholar classes on the rooftops of the buildings.¡± There was a wizard, a summoner, an arcanist and a sorcerer, all of whom could cast high-level spells. Of course, dragons were shielded so any spells would be distractions at best.


    ¡°Jinyoung will be support.¡±


    Support. In this world, there were no ¡°support¡± classes. It was a kind way of telling someone to stay out of the way. Hana looked around and everyone nodded. Except for Jinyoung.


    I can help, Hana.


    I know, and I have a job for you. You''re overwatch.


    Hana had seen firsthand what Jinyoung was capable of. The duel with Dae had been a ridiculous idea, but it had brought to light just how powerful his [scan] skill was. The idea of anyone, even Hana herself, defeating Dae in mock combat was unthinkable. Obviously Dae had taken it easy on Jinyoung. If he had wanted, he could''ve killed Jinyoung within seconds. But the blocks and dodges had been a surprise.


    We¡¯ll keep this line open. You give me a head¡¯s up on anything that¡¯s coming our way. Have you [scanned] it yet?


    No, we''re too far.


    Good. Using a skill now could alert the monster and Hana wanted to wait until everyone got into position. I need you to [scan] it as soon as you''re in range. With any luck, I should be able to defend the party while the others deal enough damage to kill it.


    Hana took a deep breath and didn¡¯t say the next part out loud. With any luck, we¡¯ll make it out of here alive.


    ***


    Muho moved carefully. The ground floor was laid out like a city block. There was even a paved street surrounding it with six buildings surrounding an open space. A parking lot.


    He turned around and signaled to Hari and Nobu. He had trained Hari from her start as a fighter until she had made the jump to soldier. Nobu was a shade who had petitioned to join him for the Seorak Outbreak quest. While his Korean wasn¡¯t great, the man had made himself easy to work with and proven he was lethal at close range. The last addition was a squire from the Arcane Fox clan. Through him, they could communicate with the scholars on the upper levels.


    They made it through the dense cluster of buildings and peeked out from the corner. Across the clearing, on the opposite side of the parking lot, Muho spotted the shield knight, war knight and monk.


    The two teams couldn¡¯t communicate, but the tradeoff was that Muho¡¯s party was essentially whole. At the very least, they¡¯d be able to work together to keep the squire safe and deal maximum damage to the dragon.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s in position.¡± Muho tightened his grip on his sword and turned to the squire. ¡°On my signal, have the scholars unleash hell.¡±

 The Light of Day (8)

    Jinyoung, can you scan it?


    Give me a second. Okay, here.


    [SCAN+]


    Monster: SIN DRACONIAN


    Recommended Level: 49


    Health: 100%


    Attributes: SHIELDED, BATTLE HARDENED, SIN*


    Weaknesses: ELECTRICITY, ICE, ARCANE


    For all its faults, the Academy only chose qualified instructors to train the next generation of players. And Hana, while an experienced warrior in her own right, had an encyclopedic knowledge of monsters and dungeons Right off the bat, she knew that the ¡°battle hardened¡± attribute was only available for monsters that had defeated other players, usually in large numbers. But¡­


    Hana, what is the ¡°sin¡± attribute?


    All her experience in the field had taught her one thing above all else: expect the unexpected. The trouble with experience is that you start to rely on what you know. Just knowing can give you comfort in the heat of battle. But now, a very real chill made its way down Hana¡¯s spine.


    I have no idea.


    Right on cue, the scholars unleashed a barrage from the upper levels. The players on the ground floor watched as the scholars unleashed a light show and a cavalcade of colors that crashed down on the dragon.


    GRAAWWRRR!!


    The roar shook the cave, sending a few stalactites from the ceiling crashing down on the ground and sending the warriors looking for cover.


    The dragon¡¯s face shifted up, looking for the scholars hidden amongst the buildings. While its attention was elsewhere, the sharpshooters let off a small barrage of arrows. Most bounced off harmlessly  while two or three charged arrows exploded with sparks and electricity on impact. The arrows were incredibly effective, shocking the dragon and stunning it for a precious few seconds.


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    The fighters on the ground level made use of those seconds and closed the gap quickly, making quick strikes and knocking the dragon off-balance. When the dragon got back to its feet, a well-placed [shock arrow] stunned it and the soldier swung his war hammer with a [stun strike], knocking it back off-balance.


    A group of players who had never fought together had immediately come together to take on a massive dragon. And most impressive of all, it was working.


    Willow, how are things up there?


    We¡¯re fine sunbae. We¡¯re taking turns so no one drains too much mana.


    As if to punctuate her point, an [arcane shot] flew down accompanied by a [fire bolt] and collided with one of the dragon¡¯s wings. The archers followed that with another volley to distract and confuse the monster further. Meanwhile, the spellcasters displaced from their initial position while the fighters closed in again to deal more damage.


    This was Willow¡¯s first foray into battle with a boss. At the Academy, they were trained on stamina specifically for fights like these. Low-level monsters, while dangerous, rarely engaged in long battles. But boss and mid-boss battles were known for lasting for long stretches of time.


    The fight had already run 12 minutes, significantly longer than the 5 minute scuffles that had defined the outbreak quest until now. The other magic casters were more experienced and thus accustomed to situations like this while Willow was finding herself short on breath.


    The wizard laid a hand on her shoulder, ¡°Take a breather until we move again.¡±


    At this range, none of them could cast anything stronger than a mid-level spell. Too powerful and they risked a cave-in or, worse still, hitting one of their allies on the ground.


    CRUNCH!


    The dragon swung a tail at the monk and war knight. They both dodged out of the way, but the impact sent tremors up the building shaking the rooftop the scholars were standing on. The impact not only shook the building, but also the cave itself. A shower of rocks and rubble fell to the ground floor.


    Willow reached up to her head and felt wetness.


    Is that blood? No, she hadn¡¯t taken any injuries this far from the battle. Then, what?


    She looked up and saw the source of the wetness. The ceiling of the cavern was leaking water. Even the walls at this point had sprung massive leads sending a steady stream of water down to the cavern floor. By the looks of it, there was a lot of water up there.


    Sunbae, we might have a problem up here.


    What is it?


    The cracks were hairline fractures. But the volume of water could only mean that there was a massive volume of water above the chamber. Most likely a buildup due to the blocked tunnels.


    How long do we have, Willow?


    It should be okay, but I''ll let you know if it gets worse.


    "Well, if it''s between drowning in a cave underground or being fried by a dragon..."

 The Light of Day (9)

    The dragon reared back and let out a massive fire breath. Unable to dodge in time, Hana beat it back with a [shield bash], immediately dissipating the flames, but setting fire to the nearby structures.


    Willow!


    On it, sunbae!


    From somewhere above her head, a glacial wind burst forth and immediately put out the fires followed by three [arcane shots] flew out and hit the dragon, knocking it back.


    That¡¯s not good, she thought. While [arcane shot] was Willow¡¯s best skill, that wasn¡¯t true for the other scholars. Which meant they were running low on mana and had fallen back on using basic skills.


    She wiped the sweat from her brow and signaled to the monk. Together they moved through the broken doors of a building to circle around and flank the monster.


    Jinyoung, where is it?


    It¡¯s moving east of your position. Take the exit to your right and you should get ahead of it.


    The fire-breathing beast was living up to its reputation. Once it realized there were multiple groups, it began moving about more aggressively. Taking cover behind buildings and using its tail to knock out building columns. That meant the archers were being forced to take higher positions which meant they were missing more of their shots.


    Watch out!


    ¡°Take cover!¡± Hana shouted. A moment later, a wave of flames washed through the lobby of the building. The heat was intense but evaporated a second later.


    That¡¯s some AOE. Thanks for the head¡¯s up.


    Jinyoung had moved from his position along the cavern walls to the rooftops of the structures. The dragon was moving too quickly and he needed to be closer in order to follow its movements. From his vantage point, he saw the archers take up positions on the tallest structure while the spellcasters were relocating on a lower rooftop. Down on the ground floor, the war knight and fighter were taking turns attacking the dragon¡¯s legs. The battle was taking its toll on everyone, but none more than the structure. Two of the buildings had taken on critical structural damage and it was only a matter of time until they toppled over. Which gave Jinyoung an idea.


    Hana, there¡¯s a building just north of your position that¡¯s ready to tip.


    The shield knight nodded.


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    We¡¯ll set the trap and the casters can trip it. Willow, I need you and the others to target the weakened column to tip it over. Pass it on to the other parties.


    A barrage of arrows flew in, distracting the dragon just long enough for Hana to explain the plan to the other fighters.


    ***


    Muho sighed in relief. It was obvious early on that the team wasn¡¯t enough to kill this damned creature. There was something wrong about it. A normal black dragon would be showing signs of exhaustion by this point, but this dragon seemed to be faster and stronger than when they first started. And while toppling a building on top of a monster seemed like overkill, the other option was to retreat.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re playing hooky,¡± he huffed out. Nobu and Hari nodded while the squire looked confused.


    ¡°We need to string him along and get him to a position north of here,¡± he explained. ¡°Each of us will take up positions along the path and strike when the dragon gets close.¡±


    ¡°Like a relay race?¡± the squire questioned.


    The other warriors smiled. ¡°Yes, exactly. Except this particular baton breathes fire. Now everyone, get in position.¡±


    ***


    Jinyoung moved up to the roof of a concrete office building that gave him a near complete view of the arena. From here, he could see the building on the north end that had taken substantial damage from tail whips and a few errant [arcane shots].


    [SCAN+]


    Monster: SIN DRACONIAN


    Recommended Level: 49


    Health: 64%


    Attributes: SHIELDED (low), BATTLE HARDENED, SIN*


    Weaknesses: ELECTRICITY, ICE, ARCANE


    The monster had taken heavy damage, but every second the battle went on, the chances of someone getting hurt increased dramatically. This battle was nothing like anything Jinyoung had fought in before. The dragon wasn¡¯t just a powerful monster, it was actively fighting against them. Earlier, the fighters and archers had used stun attacks to control the massive beast and deal damage. But eventually, the dragon started shifting its position and randomly striking out at buildings to remove potential cover points. This thing was actively developing counter-strategies


    The spellcasters and archers had taken covered positions. For this to work, the team had to focus the dragon¡¯s attention on the fighters on the ground.


    For a moment, the dragon lifted its head, searching. From this high up, Jinyoung had an obstructed view of the streets making it impossible to spot the other players. The best he could do was watch the dragon.


    Suddenly, the dragon jerked its head sideways. It moved in on its target and between the gaps in the buildings Jinyoung spotted the shade dashing through the streets. The monster struck out and the Japanese rogue deftly dodged, making it clear to anyone watching that he wasn¡¯t in any imminent danger. While its focus was on the shade, Muho leapt from one of the buildings and took a wide swipe, cutting a swatch through the dragon¡¯s neck. The reinforced scales kept him from cutting through, but the dragon¡¯s screech told everyone that it¡¯d dealt fair damage.


    The old Guild Master ran 100 meters before the squire moved out of his hiding place and swung a well-aimed shot at the dragon¡¯s leg as it sprinted by.


    That¡¯s when everything went to hell.


    Jinyoung watched in horror as the dragon¡¯s tail swung around and caught the young squire in the chest. Even from a distance, he could hear the sickening crack as the young player¡¯s ribs broke and his body ragdolled through the air.

 The Light of Day (10)

    ¡°Sir?¡±


    Cyrus heard his voice echo in the large office suite. It was dimly lit and decorated in dark wood furniture which was always his grandfather¡¯s preference. There were no windows to let light in, but this far underground, there was no point. Only an overhead lamp in the center of the room and a banker¡¯s lamp on the old man¡¯s desk which sat on one end of the room provided light in the darkness.


    He took his pace in the center of the room and waited. And watched.


    His grandfather sat in his chair at his desk just like when Cyrus was a boy. Even before the break, he hated coming here with his father. His father¡¯s office had been on the 24th floor of the same structure in a room with windows for rooms. As a boy, it was the closest he felt to flying. He loved visiting his father at work, but he dreaded the days when they visited his grandfather''s office.


    The old man¡¯s voice broke him from his memories. ¡°Joseph?¡±


    He swallowed deeply before responding. ¡°Cyrus, sir.¡±


    The momentary quiet that followed was broken by a harsh screeching as his grandfather pushed his chair back and stood. Slowly, tap, tap, the old man approached until he stepped into the same light as Cyrus.


    His grandfather was only 65 years old, but he looked ancient. After the Break, Grisham Kim had established himself as a powerful player. While he was never physically imposing, he had a keen mind and if not for the death of his sons, Grisham might have taken a position in the spotlight. A leader as the world struggled to rebuild itself.


    His grandfather smiled. It looked like pride, but there was something behind it. Something sinister that drew a chill up Cyrus¡¯ spine.


    ¡°Of course, my boy. Do you have something to report?¡±


    The quicker he told his grandfather, the quicker he could leave this place.


    And the old man, he thought.


    ¡°We were able to successfully defeat Nox Viper. There were no casualties, however, a squire was injured during the battle. A boy.¡±


    Grishman stared at his grandson. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll recover, but it¡¯ll take some time. I was hoping to sponsor him and¡­¡±


    Cyrus¡¯ voice faded when he saw the look on his grandfather¡¯s face. Hard. Unmoved.


    ¡°O-of course, sir.¡±


    Slowly, Grisham turned and walked back to his desk.


    ¡°There are reports from Seorak that the remaining clans have discovered the source of the outbreak,¡± he said. When no response was forthcoming, he continued. ¡°They¡¯ve engaged the boss and-¡±


    ¡°Which clans?¡±


    ¡°The Black Smoke out of Daegu, the Arcane Fox and Thundering Bolts. And¡­ Muho sunbae¡¯s Fighter clan.¡±


    Without turning around, the old man spoke again. ¡°And?¡±


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    Cyrus hesitated. ¡°The Phoenix.¡±


    Grisham sighed. It was a ragged sound that belied hundreds of injuries, some of them internal. And others deeper still.


    ¡°I know how you feel, but they¡¯ll have to be dealt with, my boy. For the good of society.¡±


    Cyrus moved to respond, but thought better of it. The voice of dissention died in the back of his throat before it ever reached his lips. Instead he let his gaze drop and fall to the floor.


    His grandfather smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my boy. This task will not fall on you. No, no. We have others for that. You¡¯re the hero in this story, remember?¡±


    Cyrus looked up and realized that his grandfather had silently walked back and stood less than a breath away from him. Under the light, Cyrus could clearly see the old man¡¯s smile. And he shivered.


    ***


    ¡°Nobu!¡±


    At Muho¡¯s call, the rogue shade leapt out of his cover in the shadows and ran to the boy. Before the dragon could react, Nobu had gathered the squire up in his arms and moved back into the shadows. Claws raked the area leaving deep furrows in the concrete but came up empty.


    Denied its kill, the dragon let out a horrific screeching roar, shattering windows and shaking the foundations of the cave itself. The players took cover as stalactites as big as lampposts fell from the ceiling and crashed down into the buildings and ground below.


    Jinyoung [dashed] from his vantage point before rubble crushed the balcony he was standing on and sent even more destruction below.


    What the hell is going on, Jinyoung?!


    From her position, Hana couldn¡¯t see what was happening, but she could feel the tremors.


    Hana, hold your position! I¡¯m bringing the dragon your way!


    What? I need you on over-


    Jinyoung didn¡¯t bother finishing the message. The other players on the ground floor would have taken up their positions by the damaged structure now and by the time backup arrived, it would be too late.


    The dragon was still searching for a target when Jinyoung made his approach. He targeted his [dash] to put him within striking range. It was a blur of movement as he [dashed] in to swipe at the dragon¡¯s legs before [dashing] up to avoid the counter-attack. In mid-air, he kicked off the dragon and [dashed] back to the ground.


    The dragon roared.


    I¡¯ve got its attention, Hana. Get ready.


    [SCAN+]


    Monster: SIN DRACONIAN


    R3comm¨Cded Level: $+


    Health: 50%


    Attributes_: SHI3LD3D (low), BATTLE HARDENED, SIN*


    W3akn3ss3s: E___TR-CITY, ICE, ARCANE


    ***


    The building leaned precariously. Shards of glass and office debris occasionally trickled out of the shattered floor to ceiling windows, but you could still hear the occasional creak as steel beams and pylons inside the building buckled and bent.


    She turned to the war knight, ¡°Can you get in touch with Muho sunbae?¡±


    The knight shook her head. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. Nothing¡¯s getting through.¡±


    Hana peeked out and signaled to Willow¡¯s position. The casters were perched three structures away with a clear shot of the building¡¯s weak points. The archers were positioned nearby, but the angle only allowed a clear view of the building and not Hana¡¯s party or the Guild Master¡¯s. The plan was a good one, but not without its weaknesses.


    As if to make her point, a small explosion erupted, sending up a plume of smoke as nearby structures caught fire.


    H¨Cana¡­ kno*¡­ own. #ow!!


    Jinyoung, what the hell?! Your last message was¡­ What the hell is going on!?


    Kn0¡­ @--wn!!


    Hana felt a very real cold chill creep down her back.


    Jinyoung, say again. I can¡¯t read you!


    The silence between messages was deafening. When the next message came through, it was still garbled but the meaning was clear.


    KNOCK IT DOWN.

 The Light of Day (11)

    Things had somehow gone from bad to worse.


    The last time Jinyoung scanned the monster, its HP was at 50%. But that was before he [dashed] in and made his attack. Now, a dark aura emanated from the monster. He tried to [scan] it, but the system returned a garbled mess. Worse still, [dash] barely worked meaning that all skills were also affected. And from what he could tell, the Guild Master was feeling the same effects. Even the clan chat was useless. His messages went unanswered and the few answers he was getting were unintelligible.


    The only clue as to what was going on was the [scan+] data. While the majority of the information was unreadable, one part stood out.


    [SCAN+]


    M0{...er: SIN DRACONIAN


    R3comm¨Cded Level: $+


    H¡­<h: /-%


    At_ib-tes_: SHI3LD3D (low), BTLE HA..3*3D, SIN (Active)


    W3¡­n3ss3s: E___TR-CITY, ICE, ^%C|.E


    "Get the hell outta here, kid! We don''t stand a chance here!"


    The monster was only getting stronger while the two of them were next to helpless.


    "I''m not leaving you behind!"


    Jinyoung... can you... me?


    Willow?!


    Jinyoung scanned the rooftops until he spotted her on the 12th floor landing far above his head.


    It''s a *eb...ff.


    What?! I can''t understand you.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± The onion knight turned his head just in time to see the dragon launch itself off the ground and flap just once. But once was enough to produce gale-force winds that lifted Jinyoung clear off his feet and sent him flying.


    For a precious few seconds, he felt himself tumbling through the air before gravity reintroduced his body to the concrete and he tumbled a few feet before coming to a blessed rest.


    J¡ª-ung!!


    Jinyoung!!


    The ¡°sound¡± of Willow screaming in the clan chat brought him back from the warm brink of unconsciousness. He needed to stand up.


    I hear you. Calm down.


    Are you okay?!


    A few pats and a bit of gingerness when he stood told him nothing was broken but there would be pain in the days to come.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    You need to get back in there! The Guild Master is doing his best, but he won¡¯t last long.


    Jinyoung shook the cobwebs loose in his head. Even together they didn¡¯t stand much of a chance against this thing.


    Can you get word to Hana? We need backup now.


    No, I can only communicate with you because we¡¯re so close. But the debuff radius from that thing is massive. The others are too far away for us to communicate with.


    That explains it, Jinyoung thought. The Sin effect must be a passive skill that kicked in once the dragon was below 50% health. If anything, this was a sign that they needed to-


    Did you say debuff?


    Jinyoung quickly opened his status screen. He needed to check his skills. One in particular.


    [CHARGE+]


    The PLAYER enters a [CHARGED] state for up to 1 minute.


    While [CHARGED+], all PLAYER STATS are increased including AGILITY and all PLAYER debuffs are removed.


    Willow, I need you to back me up, but keep your distance.


    He felt it before he heard or saw anything. A low rumble that gave him seconds to move before a very large, very angry dragon came bursting through the walls of a parking garage. Jinyoung [dashed] immediately, but he could still feel the cut of concrete shrapnel etch his skin.


    ¡°Timburr!!¡± a rough voice called out as the dragon went crashing into another building beyond them.


    The Guild Master helped Jinyoung to his feet.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to say that before-¡±


    ¡°No time for chit-chat,¡± the old fighter pointed. The dragon had already shaken off the impact and was getting back on its feet. Two [arcane bolts] came from above and slammed into the dragon, pushing it back into the rubble of the building.


    ¡°Now¡¯s as good a time as any,¡± Jinyoung muttered.


    [Charge+].


    He felt the difference immediately. He could see the aura from the dragon around him, unable to touch him. The [charge+] increased all his stats making Jinyoung stronger, but more importantly faster.


    Jinyoung turned to the Guild Master and got a good look at the older warrior. He sincerely hoped that the Guild Master felt better than he looked. His armor was shredded and tiny wounds from shrapnel peppered any exposed skin including his face.


    ¡°Took you long enough!¡± He yelled out between breaths.


    It¡¯s just around the corner from you.


    Just above Jinyoung, Willow had found a perch. The alleys were tight enough here that she could move from rooftop to rooftop. At least, with enough of a run-up, that is.


    We need to be in sync on this, Willow. Don¡¯t strike until I do.


    Jinyoung turned back to Muho, ¡°You need to hide up here. You¡¯re not in any shape to fight. I¡¯ll draw the dragon away and you find some cover.¡±


    The Guild Master nodded gruffly. ¡°You go ahead, I¡¯ll leave once the coast is clear.¡±


    The monster poked its head out of the corner. Scanning the environment. Hunting them. Hunting him. Once it had fully moved into the open, the onion knight made his move.


    Jinyoung [dashed] in and swung his sword at the dragon¡¯s legs, just like he did earlier. Except this time, he pulled his strike short. Instead, an [arcane bolt] shot in from the rooftops and struck the dragon squarely in the leg.


    The dragon screeched and brought its tail down hard. The whiplash motion shook the ground and left a crater in its wake that would¡¯ve surely killed Jinyoung had he not double [dashed] back.


    That was almost too perfect, Jinyoung.


    Stay hidden up there, Willow.


    The [charge+] increased all of his stats including those that affected his MP. Two [dashes] one after another like that would¡¯ve left him breathless, but he was barely winded. As long as he didn¡¯t attack the dragon, he would stay [charged] and he could stay one step ahead of the beast.


    Get ready because here we go again.


    Again and again, Jinyoung charged in and pulled himself short to give Willow an opening to strike it with an [arcane bolt] from range. Finally, after three more strikes, he backed off.


    ¡°Come on, you ugly bastard.¡±

 The Light of Day (12)

    The city block showed massive signs of wear from the battle. Entire structures had been reduced to rubble and Jinyoung doubted if any windows in the entirety of the area were still in one piece Even with [dash], the dragon was an overwhelming threat in a 1-on-1. Moving one way or another was met with an immediate tail swipe or claw slash. Unlike the Queen Bee, this thing wasn¡¯t just attacking mindlessly. It could see his strategies and adjust its own to counter him. This thing wasn¡¯t just fighting back, it wanted to kill him.


    Finally, Jinyoung could see the damaged building and he felt the ache of hope in his chest. The other fighters were positioned on the opposite side of the building while the casters and sharpshooters were positioned at higher points. The trap was set. All that was left was to spring it.


    The dragon''s screech was deafening. Instinctively, Jinyoung''s concentration broke and he covered his ears with his hands. Aside from a few precious seconds, he had kept his distance from the beast which meant his [scan+] couldn''t warn him of incoming attacks. But at this distance, he could smell the thing''s breath. A mixture of rotten flesh and heat. The dark gold scales had shimmered when they first encountered it, but now any iridescence was replaced with an almost slick texture. As if the scales were covered in something liquid. Something dark and flowing. Something alive.


    Hana, bring it down.


    When no response came, he repeated himself.


    Hana, knock it down now!!


    The dragon had reared back, breathing in deep. But Jinyoung''s shouts were into the void for all he knew because no one spoke back.


    God, the Sin effect, he thought. [Charge+] keeps me from being debuffed, but anyone else in his range is going to be debuffed.


    He checked his MP which was dangerously low. [Scan+] and [dash+] had reduced MP costs, but at this point, he only had a few charges left. Any more than that and he''d be afflicted by mana sickness.


    Willow! I need you to hit the building with an [arcane shot]!


    Again, no response. But a large click refocused his attention to the monster in front of him. He could see the conflagration starting at the back of its throat. Only a few seconds before...


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    THOOM!


    The [arcane bolt] let out a high-pitched whistle as it arced overhead before it exploded against the weakened structure. Then another, and another. And then a volley of explosions hit the building''s weakened points. On the other side of the structure, the fighters cut through steel beams and columns and, when necessary, grabbed and lifted to provide leverage.


    The building leaned over with a groan as metal and concrete bent. Then that groan turned into a cacophony of screeching as 100,000 tons of steel, concrete and glass came crashing down. The dragon never stood a chance. It was simply too big and the alleyway was too boxed in. Ten foot long steel girders crashed down like spears alongside hundred pound chunks of granite, marble and concrete bashed and battered everything on the ground. The dust rose up like a blanket and obscured his view and filled his lungs.


    [SIN DRACONIAN defeated.]


    [New TITLE Unlocked: Dragonslayer]


    [New TITLE Unlocked: Sin Eater]


    [Level Up!]


    Jinyoung (NOVICE CLASS, Level 21)


    STRENGTH: 21


    WISDOM: 21


    AGILITY: 21


    ENDURANCE:21


    LUCK: 21


    Jinyoung had seen enough. He shut his eyes and [dashed].


    ***


    "Where''s the Guild Master?" Hana asked. Most of the players were accounted for except Muho.


    Willow pointed back across the alley. "Jinyoung told him to go for cover back there. Someone should check in on him. His injuries were pretty bad."


    Hana nodded. She took a look around at the chaos. The structure was only 25 stories, but it had come down hard. Luckily, only the base was badly damaged (before they knocked it over) so it fell in one piece.


    After surveying the damage, Hana spoke. "We should head out and look for the Guild Master before heading out-¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Willow and Hana looked at Jinyoung, but his attention was elsewhere. A weakly blinking light drew his focus.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hidden quest,¡± he confirmed before turning to face his party. ¡°Should we?¡±


    Hana nodded. ¡°Do it.¡±


    QUEST: Kill Confirmed


    Confirm the BOSS'' death and escape the DUNGEON safely.


    Reward: ???


    Failure: None.


    ¡°Accept.¡±

 The Light of Day (13)

    QUEST: Kill Confirmed


    Confirm the BOSS'' death and escape the DUNGEON safely.


    Reward: ???


    Failure: None.


    Willow sighed in relief. Until recently, all the field quests that Jinyoung had discovered were ¡°safe start¡± quests. That is, accepting a quest didn¡¯t spawn a load of monsters in their immediate area or plunge them into imminent danger. The Black Shrine quest that Jinyoung had originally was¡­ well, not a safe start to say the least.


    ¡°The walls of the cave are damaged,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a while before there¡¯s a cave-in, but we should get moving just in case.¡±


    ¡°How long do you think we have?¡± Hana asked.


    ¡°16 minutes 24 seconds, exactly,¡± Jinyoung interjected.


    The two players looked at Jinyoung before focusing on the quest notification. It had been replaced with a timer.


    [Quest Timer]


    00:16:19


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Hana finally spoke. ¡°Well then, we¡¯d better get going.¡±


    The rubble of the skyscraper was nearly inaccessible. It might¡¯ve been easier had the structure stayed in one piece, but it had flattened and collapsed on one end, while the other was an inaccessible mess of concrete rubble and steel rebar.


    But thanks to [scan+], Jinyoung could see a dim glow from the center of the chaos. Slowly, he picked his way through collapsed walls until the party found the remains of the emergency stairwell.


    ¡°This should get us closer to our goal.¡± Jinyoung tried to sound confident, but he wasn¡¯t. The quest timer kept ticking away and there was no knowing as to what the quest reward was. But, at least until now, hidden quests had proven themselves to be worth the effort.


    ¡°This should be the last of it,¡± Jinyoung said, pointing to a narrow passage. ¡°I think if we just move-¡±


    Jinyoung pressed against the sides of the crevice and the building responded with a low screech and rumble as tons of rubble shifted around them.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again,¡± Willow whispered.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Jinyoung answered.


    Carefully, the three of them maneuvered their way through a narrow passage flanked by panes of broken glass and the delicately balanced rubble of the building. Finally, after being reduced to their knees and crawling underneath a collapsed column, they were through.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The body of the dragon lay under the rubble, lifeless. If the tons of debris hadn¡¯t been enough to kill it, a large steel column had pierced its body like an arrow and nailed it to the ground.


    ¡°How do we confirm its death?¡± Hana asked.


    Jinyoung approached and placed a hand on its scales. Whatever enchantment had caused it to have a slithering black visage from earlier was gone. Even upon [scanning] the corpse, he could see that the monster¡¯s name had changed to ¡°Draconis¡±.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Willow¡¯s voice alerted the others to the dragon¡¯s glow. It started faintly and then grew to encompass the entirety of the fallen monster¡¯s body. And as it faded, the dragon¡¯s body disintegrated slowly into dust. Jinyoung pulled his hand away and came back with one of the dragon¡¯s scales.


    ¡°That¡­ was unexpected,¡± Hana said.


    Before anyone could respond, the rubble started to shake. Without the monster¡¯s body to prop it up, the remains of the building began to collapse in on itself.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    Quickly, Jinyoung pocketed the scale which was roughly the size of his palm. No longer concerned with structural stability, Hana used [shield bash] to clear the narrow passage so they could sprint their way back. It wasn¡¯t until they were completely clear of the building before they stopped to breathe.


    [Quest Timer]


    00:04:53


    ¡°The timer¡¯s still going, guys.¡±


    ¡°Look, sunbae.¡± Jinyoung and Hana followed Willow¡¯s gaze and their eyes landed on the walls of the cavern. The walls were glistening, but more than that they were drenched. Above their head, drops of water flowed freely from the ends of stalactites and puddled beneath their feet.


    ¡°Move.¡±


    They ran, leaving ripped in their wake and the water pooled and flooded the ground floor. By the time they found a path up the way they¡¯d come, the water had reached their ankles. Moving back up was hard work, especially after fighting off a dragon, but the alternative was drowning to death inside a cave. That was motivation enough.


    When they finally squeezed their way back past the narrow passages, the roar of the water rushing into the arena was deafening. They moved quickly and eventually found themselves back in familiar areas. Soon, the crack of daylight greeted them as they walked out of the cave.


    [QUEST: Kill Confirmed]


    Quest completed.


    Reward: The Dragon''s Hidden Scale (item)


    The notification reminded Jinyoung of their souvenir.


    Whatever it is, it¡¯d better be worth it, he thought. But as he reached into his pocket Hana put a hand on his arm. He looked up at her, but his sister didn¡¯t meet his gaze. She was staring at the other parties who were seated at the edge of the riverbed which had already begun to fill back up with water. Some of the players were standing, but most were seated. Jinyoung recognized a few of them and could see the summoner was tending to another player¡¯s wounds. But they were, all of them, surrounded by knights. Heavily armored and armed. Jinyoung recognized the armor and weapons from the first day he escaped the Black Shrine dungeon. Jinyoung¡¯s eyes were still adjusting to the light, but she could see the Guildmaster Muho staring at him intently.


    ¡°The Society? What are they-?¡±


    He didn¡¯t have time to finish his thought before a familiar voice called out to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Hana. And this must be Willow, your new prodigy who I¡¯ve heard so much about.¡±


    She stopped just a few feet away from them. She was close enough that Jinyoung could reach out and touch her. Just to make sure she was real.


    ¡°Hello, Jinyoung. It¡¯s been quite some time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he breathed out. ¡°Hello, Seah.¡±

 The Light of Day (14)

    Willow wasn¡¯t quite sure what to make of this. The Director of the Player Society was here, presumably waiting for them. She knew enough of Hana¡¯s past to know that Director Seah was a founding member of the Phoenix Clan, but the entourage of fully-armed knights felt¡­ wrong.


    A voice interrupted her thoughts, ¡°Hello, miss?¡±


    The woman standing before was well dressed, not as well dressed as Seah whose statuesque figure was striking, but very much office formal. It was at odds with the wilderness they were standing in.


    ¡°My name is Eunice, I am an analyst at the Player Society.¡±


    The last statement was phrased almost like a question. It was a strange feeling, as if Willow could tell this woman didn¡¯t pose a threat. Or at least, that¡¯s how she felt in the moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re here with Director Seah.¡±


    Eunice coughed. ¡°Yes, I came here with her. But I have no official duties here today.¡±


    The expression on Willow¡¯s face was one of confusion.


    ¡°That means I came here with her, but I¡¯m not with her. At least, not today.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Willow asked. ¡°In fact, why are any of you here?¡±


    It took everything she had not to react to the hostility in Willow¡¯s voice. She could [read] Willow¡¯s profile, but that felt too invasive. Instead, Eunice took a breath.


    ¡°The director was sent here with a message,¡± she answered finally. ¡°And she requested I join her. Just to observe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here at the director¡¯s request,¡± she answered finally. ¡°Just to observe.¡±


    ¡°Observe,¡± Willow repeated back. She thought for a second and wondered where she¡¯d seen this woman before. She hadn¡¯t been at the Seokrak Outbreak, but her face was familiar.


    Willow¡¯s eyes widened when she realized.


    ¡°You¡¯re the technomancer.¡±


    Eunice smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a technomancer. But for the time being, at least in South Korea, I am the technomancer.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Willow thought back. The technomancer was the newest class that had been discovered just three years ago. Rumor was that other countries had discovered the class years earlier, but kept the secret of how the class was unlocked to themselves. It wasn¡¯t until a scholar had unlocked the specific combination of stats and skills to unlock the class. Right now, anyone could choose the technomancer class, but Eunice Park was the first.


    The revelation worried Willow. The technomancer was a new class and a few years ago, the player-sphere was buzzing with rumors. Some said that the class allowed plates to manipulate and use electronic devices. Others said that it allowed players to technologically enhance themselves. Of course, no one knew what to make of it because there was only one in the country and the Player Society had been tight-lipped about class details.


    ¡°You said the director was sent here with a message?¡± Muho interjected. The Guildmaster had limped his way over, driven by curiosity. Willow looked at the scores of injuries and haphazard bandages.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the technomancer replied. ¡°She¡¯s probably delivering it now-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he interrupted, again. ¡°You said that someone sent the director here. Who has the authority to order the Director of the Player Society?¡±


    ***


    Hana wore her emotions on her sleeves. And it was obvious for all to see just how she felt to see Seah here. And if that weren¡¯t enough¡­


    ¡°Why the hell are you here?¡±


    Jinyoung raised an eyebrow, surprised by the hostility. He¡¯d gotten the feeling that relationships had soured in his absence, but it was still a shock to see just how badly things had gotten between these two. Especially since the last time he saw Seah, she was comforting Hana.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a message,¡± she responded, holding up a phone.


    The recording was scratchy and it took a few seconds before a man¡¯s voice was audible.


    ¡°This is Survey-three. We¡¯re blocked in and.. [kkrzt] not good. We¡¯ve lost contact with the other teams and [krzzt]... assault team. The northern barony has completely [krazzt] and we rec¡­ [krrzzt]. Survey-two went off-comms four days ago and [krzzt]... I repeat, do not¡­ [krrzzat]¡±


    There was additional static and the telltale sounds of armed battle before the recording ended.


    ¡°Seah, what is this?¡± Jinyoung asked. ¡°If a survey team was ambushed, then you need to send in backup.¡±


    ¡°We sent in one survey team three months ago up north,¡± Seah explained. ¡°The northern barons have been out of communication for a year now and the borders are overrun. We lost contact with survey-one and sent in two teams after them. This was the last message we got from survey-three two months ago.¡±


    ¡°That means, you¡¯re going to close the border, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hana asked quietly.


    Seah nodded.


    Hana turned to Jinyoung. ¡°If a region has been overrun, the Society sends in up to three survey teams. If the teams find that the area cannot be saved or if the teams don¡¯t report back, the region is blocked off.¡±


    Jinyoung held up a hand. ¡°Okay, that all makes sense. But what does this have to do with me?¡±


    Seah and Hana exchanged looks. A tense silence hung in the air until Seah sighed.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about you, Jinyoung. That voice you heard belongs to Seunghyo.¡± Seah shot a look at Hana who only turned away in response. ¡°Hana¡¯s husband.¡±

 Authors Note: Behind the Scenes of the Seorak Outbreak

    The Seorak Outbreak story arc which I''ve been writing and planning for literally months may have been the worst idea I¡¯ve ever had. The episode count went 4 episodes longer than I expected, the amount of art was considerably more than I¡¯d planned, and I burned through a few weekends writing and rewriting some of the scenes. Not episodes, mind you. Scenes.


    I definitely worked on the art for this story arc a lot and, to be honest, I doubt I¡¯ll be able to devote as much time to future seasons as I have this one. I may have lost sight of my goals and schedules here because I ended up storyboarding a lot of the story as I was writing it. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m thrilled with how it all turned out but the time investment was insane.


    This arc took on a number of changes over the past months with the addition of scenes like the one with Cyrus and his grandfather Grisham as well as more substantial changes like the location and the boss monster at the end.


    The original draft took place in a mountainous region in the south of Korea known as Yeosu. I vacationed there a year back and spent a day exploring a buddhist temple built into a seaside mountain. I ended up changing it to Seorak Mountain (also a real place) because the mountains there are taller and overall better known (to some at least).


    The boss monster was originally a different mythic creature, but I changed it further and further until I settled on a dragon. I¡¯ll be recycling a lot of the elements into a future arc that involves another dungeon with more fire and a tiger creature. Once I settled on a dragon, everything else sort of fit together and we ended up with the final story that we have here.


    The goal of the Seorak Outbreak was to (a) settle Jinyoung into the modern day and (b) establish what he can and cannot do as a beginner player. A lot of you have noticed and commented that Jinyoung isn¡¯t really the main damage dealer or play an active role in a lot of the battles. That¡¯s literally because he doesn¡¯t have the skills, stats or experience for it. It¡¯s going to be a while before he¡¯s able to do much on his own, but I look forward to taking you all on that journey.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The next story arc starts delving (as you might have guessed) a bit more into Hana and the things she''s left out from her stories to Jinyoung. I hope you''re all looking forward to reading it as much as I am to posting it.


    But, on a slightly lighter note... I finally got to introduce Han Dae!! I have been working on this character for the past year and he''s worked his way into and out of other stories. I''m really excited to finally introduce him and get to use some of the concept art I have of it.


    He is one of the first generation players and an early "hero" of the South Korea region. He''s a pure Fighter class, partly because it suits his character but also because later classes were only discovered after he''d increased his own level and invested his stat points.


    Before I go, I wanted to leave you with a bit more on Mr. Han. He has his own story that''ll be working its way into this current story arc, but here''s  a bit more about him.


    Given Name: Dae


    Family Name: Han


    Class: Fighter


    Level: 73


    Family: Joo Han (brother, deceased)


    Former Occupation: Boxer, Soldier


    Current affiliations: None


    Clan: formerly of the Closed Fist Clan (disbanded)


    Titles:


    - Master of the Fist, Righteous Defender (removed), Light of the Storm (removed), Arena Champion, Guardian of Law (removed), Duelist, Heroic Victor (removed), Slayer, Last One Standing, Player Killer

 Crossing Lines (1)

    ¡°There¡¯s no one else here, Hana.¡± It was an invitation more than a statement. The knights were only there to accompany Seah. And with her leave, the knights followed as she exited the train. It stung more than a little that she could leave without so much as a word to him. Even though she reviled everything Seah had become, even Hana was surprised by how coldly Seah had treated her brother.


    ¡°Hana.¡±


    Willow had long since sought refuge in another car. It wasn¡¯t wise to split up, but the awkward silence was too much for the recent graduate to bear. That left Hana and Jinyoung in the car alone with the weight of Hana¡¯s marital revelations pressing down on them.


    At 36, Hana hadn¡¯t felt the need to explain herself or her actions to anyone else in a long time. But it was impossible not to feel the guilt at having kept this from Jinyoung.


    ¡°We got married when I was 28,¡± Hana said. She may as well start from the beginning. ¡°We¡¯d been dating for a few years. It¡¯s difficult keeping up a relationship when you¡¯re both constantly being called away, but we made it work.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s a player, too?¡±


    ¡°A pathfinder.¡±


    For a moment, Hana thought that Jinyoung was so angry he couldn¡¯t speak. But when she looked up at him, he met her gaze with a confused look.


    Right, she remembered. ¡°Pathfinders are an archer class, they¡¯re one of the next progressions from rangers.¡±


    Jinyoung nodded. Before he went into the Black Shrone, there was only one progression class after rangers. So this was yet another discovery made during his absence. A constant reminder of how much he had missed while he was gone.


    ¡°So you¡¯re married?¡±


    ¡°Divorced, actually.¡± A memory bubbled to the surface of her mind. ¡°We were only married about three years before we¡¯d grown so far apart that there wasn¡¯t a relationship left. A few months later, I called dad and told him. He was so pissed.¡±


    The memory made her smile. ¡°He¡¯d never liked Seunghyo, so when this all happened¡­ Well, Seunghyo kept his head down for a year two just to avoid the chance of running into dad.¡±


    A pained look drew across Jinyoung¡¯s face.


    ¡°Are you mad, oppa?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t called him that since she was a child. Jinyoung still remembered a day when she was 12. He asked her why she didn¡¯t call him ¡°oppa¡± anymore. She¡¯d responded by telling him she wanted to be seen as a colleague, not a little sister.


    ¡°No, Hana. I could never be mad at you,¡± he heard himself say. He smiled, but the ache inside would be something he¡¯d never forget. ¡°Hana, I need to know what happened with you, Seah and Cyrus.¡±


    ¡°We grew apart,¡± Hana replied after a moment. ¡°Cyrus¡¯ grandfather funded the Phoenix at first and everything was fine. Until it wasn¡¯t.¡±


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    Hana grimaced at the memory. For a time, the Phoenix had been everything they¡¯d envisioned. The four of them focused on quests that would serve the greater good and give back to the community.


    ¡°We focused a lot on outbreaks, clearing dungeons that were close to residential areas and, occasionally, more high-profile quests.¡±


    Jinyoung took a guess. ¡°Like the Seokrak Outbreak.¡±


    Hana nodded. ¡°At first we took requests from anyone in need, but Cyrus¡¯ grandfather started to impose more jobs on our schedule. Less of people in need and more of protecting his interests like private mining operations, satellite offices, and warehouses under his control. So the four of us agreed to take on more quests from the Player Society. That led to more ¡®safe¡¯ quests and eventually Seah took on a position at the Society.¡±


    It had taken some effort to convince Cyrus, but in the end he had agreed. Partly thanks to Seah¡¯s efforts to convince him at the time. But even that had been a temporary measure.


    ¡°Eventually, we realized that the Society quests were the same. People like Cyrus¡¯ grandfather amassed influence until there was no escaping their clutches,¡± Hana said bitterly, ¡°After a year, Cyrus decided to work closer with his grandfather and Seah left to devote her efforts to the greater good at the Society.¡±


    ¡°They left,¡± Jinyoung said simply.


    ¡°Yeah. I didn¡¯t see them for a few years, but when I saw them again, they¡¯d started the Pegasus clan. They say it¡¯s a joint venture between the Player Society and the Paladin Guild, but it¡¯s really just owned by Gigan Corp.¡±


    Jinyoung grunted. Gigan Corp was headed by Grisham Kim, a relentless industrialist who¡¯d rebuilt his company after the Break through ruthless means. There were even rumors of Player Killings carried out on his competitors. After the stories Cyrus had shared of his grandfather, Jinyoung believed them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, oppa. I know they¡¯re your friends, but-¡±


    ¡°Screw them.¡±


    Hana¡¯s surprise was written on her face and she opened her mouth to speak, but couldn¡¯t find the words.


    ¡°If they chose to align themselves with Grisham, then screw them,¡± he said. ¡°But from here on in, no more secret husbands, got it?¡±


    Hana met Jinyoung¡¯s eyes and nodded.


    ¡°No more secret husbands,¡± she replied with a grin.


    ***


    It stung that Seah had left without a word to Jinyoung. It¡¯d been two decades and she¡¯d treated him as if he were a stranger. But, based on everything Hana had just told him, she might well be. Thankfully, there was plenty to take his mind off his situation.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going north, we¡¯ll need specialized gear,¡± Willow explained. After the sibling¡¯s heart-to-heart, Willow magically appeared at the entrance to the carriage. Not at all as if she¡¯d been listening from outside. ¡°The temperature is a balmy 5oC during the day and it drops to a blistering -23oC at night.¡±


    ¡°Fire stones,¡± Jinyoung said.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Willow answered.


    Elemental stones like fire stones weren¡¯t actually stones. They were, in fact, crystals imbued with fire that could be found in dungeon mines. Mages routinely drew out the mana in elemental stones to increase the efficiency and power of their spells. And, likewise, they could take emptied elemental stones and imbue them again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll also need jackets, endurance armor, and maybe some agility gear,¡± Hana rattled off. ¡°The northlands have some treacherous terrain so anything to give us a leg up while we¡¯re there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us, sunbae?¡±


    Hana shook her head. ¡°Show her, Jinyoung.¡±


    The onion reached into his pocket and revealed their reward from the hidden quest.


    The Dragon''s Hidden Scale


    Category: ???


    Description:


    Must be carried in battle.

 Crossing Lines (2)

    The Dragon''s Hidden Scale


    Category: ???


    Description:


    Must be carried in battle.


    The dragon¡¯s scale was roughly the size of his palm and it fairly glowed with a golden light. Willow reached out to touch it and felt the warmth against her skin.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    It took a moment for Jinyoung to realize the question was aimed at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®the Dragon¡¯s Hidden Scale¡¯ and there¡¯s nothing else besides that. The description says I have to carry it in battle. Have you ever seen anything like this, Hana?¡±


    His sister shook her head. ¡°No, but there¡¯ll be someone at our destination who can give us more information. That¡¯s why I need you to get supplies for our expedition while Jinyoung and I go see a forgemaster.¡±


    A forgemaster?


    ¡°Wait, where exactly are we going, Hana?¡±


    ***


    Seongsoo Market.


    Before the Break, Seongsoo had been an unassuming market full of warehouses and workshops. Most of the city¡¯s steel mills had been housed there along with welders, mechanics and a few blacksmiths. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to see industrial workers hammering away through the night which went a long way towards explaining why there were so few homes built in the area.


    Eventually, the bellows and workmen who spent their hours producing steel frames for cars or aluminum wires for fencing were working on armor to defend against monsters and swords for actual fencing.


    Blacksmiths, craftsmen and armorers were stacked on-top of, underneath, and next to each other haphazardly in the tight streets of the market. There were a few concrete structures built in the 80¡¯s, but the rest of the ramshackle additions had been built with brick and mortar while others structures were tin-roofed shacks that looked like they might fall over with a stiff breeze.


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    ¡°Have you ever been here?¡± Hana asked.


    Jinyoung didn¡¯t need to answer. The awe was written on his face. The Seongsoo Market was strictly off-limits to anyone under level 20. Partly because none of the wares here were suitable for inexperienced players, but mostly to cut down on the number of window shoppers. He¡¯d only heard descriptions from his instructors, but they didn¡¯t do it justice.


    The street was populated with a mix of storefronts and smithies. The stores were well organized with polished gear while the smithies were more disorderly with weapons hung in layers. Some were still smoking after being freshly forged.


    Jinyoung stopped at one smithy to browse their selection of axes. They glinted in the light, polished to a shine. He took a deep breath and then activated [scan+].


    Notifications flooded his view as the skill sought to give him information on every item directly in front of him. Gradually, he was able to focus on one specific weapon and see its attributes.


    Lesser Ax of Flames


    Weapon is imbued with fire damage that activates periodically.


    Attributes: Flamestrike (BROKEN)


    Contrary to its status, the ax was marked to be in near-mint condition. Checking other wares resulted in similar falsehoods. All the weapons at these shops had been polished to a shine with signs and prices that advertised weapons as being of high-quality or having ¡°epic¡± attributes when, in reality, many of the weapons were well-worn or had attributes that were firmly broken.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re not here to explore.¡±


    Hana led him from two-laned streets to narrow alleys through to walkways where Jinyoung had to squeeze past air-conditioner units and storage shelters.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll like this,¡± Hana replied with a smile. ¡°It used to be that the outer shops were run by smithies and craftsmen, but that was before we got the resellers. At first, they were either clan reps selling used equipment in bulk or scavengers who were picking through bodies in the dungeons.¡±


    Jinyoung nodded. There wasn¡¯t a large market for second-hand equipment. In fact, it was usually only fresh graduates from the Academy who used second-hand gear. Everyone else either used tailored gear, direct from a craftsman or armorer. But something nagged at him.


    ¡°The market at the Seorak Outbreak¡­ all of that was used gear, though.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Hana waved at the stores they¡¯d just passed on the mainstreets. ¡°Just like out there.¡±


    The thought stunned Jinyoung. Everything he¡¯d seen at the Seorak Outbreak and back in the Seongsoo Market was second-hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s some new stuff here and there, but a lot of the industrial forges have been bought by corporations who funnel new gear to their own players.¡±


    It was a sobering thought for Jinyoung. The idea that even amongst clans there existed a hierarchy with corporate-sponsored clans at the top.


    ¡°Then where are we going?¡±


    Hana answered without looking back. ¡°We¡¯re going to a place where the corporations aren¡¯t welcome.¡±

 Crossing Lines (3)

    Hana led Jinyoung down a path that twisted at odd angles and went up and down uneven steps. Soon, the sounds of haggling shopkeepers faded, replaced by the pounding of hammers and the roar of open flames fed by bellows. The structures were older here, bricks blackened permanently by soot with the telltale signs of fire damage everywhere Jinyoung¡¯s eyes looked.


    ¡°Over here.¡± Hana nodded towards a warehouse that had seen better days. The shutters were permanently raised and the walls were damaged beyond repair. It looked like the structure wasn¡¯t built to stand, it just was.


    As they walked in, Hana held her finger to her lips.


    While we¡¯re here, let me do the talking. The forgemaster knows me.


    Jinyoung simply nodded in response.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± A voice called out. ¡°I don¡¯t much like visitors.¡±


    The warehouse was chaotic to say the least. Tools were arranged carefully on the walls, but the floor was littered with half-finished weapons and armors set aside in piles. The workstations showed signs of promise, polished blades and jewels, but whatever genius lived in these walls was colored with madness.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Forgemaster Magwi. I¡¯ve brought something you might be interested in,¡± Hana responded.


    The flames of an open oven cast moving shadows, but eventually Jinyoung¡¯s eyes adjusted and he picked out a hunched figure amidst the dross. The Forgemaster wasn¡¯t more than 5 feet tall and, like the rest of the forge itself, she was covered in soot.


    She stepped closer to the duo and removed her welder¡¯s goggles revealing two circles of skin not layered in soot and two beady eyes. The woman could¡¯ve been fifty or 500, it was hard to tell.


    ¡°So you brought your brother. The legendary onion knight,¡± the old woman said as she scrutinized Jinyoung. ¡°I¡¯m not impressed, girl. In fact, I¡¯m bored.


    Hana nudged her brother. ¡°Show her.¡±


    Carefully, Jinyoung removed the dragon scale from his satchel. The expression on the forgemaster¡¯s face changed immediately. One second, she was looking at the two siblings as if they were sand fleas to be flicked out of her workspace and the next she was in complete awe of what she was seeing.


    She spoke, but it came out as a whisper. ¡°Let me see that, child.¡±


    Jinyoung hesitated, but Hana nodded her approval. The forgemaster took it gingerly and turned it in her hands.


    ¡°You¡¯ve not taken it into battle yet, have you?¡± It was more of an accusation than a question.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re the first person we¡¯ve shown it to,¡± Jinyoung replied.


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    The old woman returned it to his hands. ¡°Good. You¡¯ll need to have it on you when you go into battle, but for God¡¯s sake, keep it hidden. You don¡¯t want word getting out that you¡¯ve got one of these.¡±


    Jinyoung blinked and then nodded. ¡°But, what exactly do we have here?¡±


    ¡°That there, child,¡± the woman answered, ¡°is a forge item. Same as steel, crystal, obsidian or fire stones. Blacksmiths, artisans and forgemasters can use it to create weapons, armors or even jewelry imbued with special stats, abilities or attributes.¡±


    Jinyoung looked back at the scale in his hands and turned it over in the light before [scanning] it.


    The Dragon''s Hidden Scale


    Category: Forge item


    Attributes: ???


    Description:


    Must be carried in battle to level up.


    He scrutinized the information before speaking. ¡°The attributes are unknown. What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you need to carry it into battle. To unlock its attributes,¡± the forgemaster narrowed her eyes at the onion knight. ¡°Can you see the item¡¯s description and attributes?¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s mouth hung open for a second before he shut it. He looked at Hana and even without the clan chat, he knew what she was going to say.


    Didn¡¯t I tell you to let me do the talking?


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that,¡± the woman cawed before turning to face Hana. ¡°Looks like you brought me two things to pique my interest.¡±


    The forgemaster turned away and rummaged through a pile of weapons. She tossed small arms to the side and made an awful mess before turning around holding a knife.


    ¡°Here,¡± she said, holding the knife out to Jinyoung. ¡°Tell me about this knife.¡±


    Just do as she says, Jinyoung.


    While he wasn¡¯t certain it was the right thing to do, there weren¡¯t many other options left to him. He felt the pulse of mana and focused on the knife.


    Greedy Cutter


    Category: Weapon


    Attributes: +1 LUCK


    ¡°It¡¯s called the ¡®Greedy Cutter.¡¯ It increases the wielder¡¯s luck stat.¡±


    The woman paused. Hana and Jinyoung waited for her to react, but it was almost as if the woman was too stunned to speak. Then, just as Hana was about to speak, she turned back to her pile of weapons and retrieved another weapon. Then another, and another. And each time, Jinyoung used his [scan+] skill to identify the name and attributes.


    ¡°Fine, how about this?¡± This time, the forgemaster retrieved what looked to be a vambrace from a box hidden amongst the chaos strewn about the forge. It was leather with steel plates for protection along the outer edges. Upon closer inspection, Jinyoung could make out intricate designs along the leather straps.


    ¡°Well, boy? Do your thing.¡±


    Jinyoung grimaced, clearly unhappy to be trotted out like a monkey to scan the forgemaster¡¯s inventory.


    ¡°Fine, but this is the last one.¡±


    Protective Mark of the Bear


    Category: Shield


    Attributes: ARMORED, SHIELDED, BEAR


    Affinity: Shield Knight (+2), Paladin (+1), Knight (+1)


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyes narrowed and his forehead creased.


    What the hell is that?

 Crossing Lines (4)

    What the hell is that? Hana, I don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m seeing here.


    What do you mean?


    There¡¯s an attribute here that I don¡¯t recognize, but there¡¯s something else-


    ¡°Boy,¡± the forgemaster glowered at him. ¡°I let it slide earlier, but I¡¯ll not stand here and let you whisper about me. Not in my own forge. Now out with it.¡±


    ¡°It has three attributes including one I¡¯ve never seen before along with something called ¡®affinities¡¯,¡± he spat out.


    The woman¡¯s eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. Quietly and gingerly, she took the vambraces back and placed them in the box she retrieved them from.


    ¡°What is this, Magwi?¡± Hana questioned. ¡°We didn¡¯t come here to be tested.¡±


    ¡°Hush, child.¡± The woman quieted Hana before speaking. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen the ¡®Bear¡¯ attribute or affinities¡­¡±


    ¡°The both of you need to understand something,¡± she started. ¡°For a smithy to identify an object, they need to work on it. Sharpen an edge, replace the leather handle, polish a gem, but we have to do something. The trouble is, changing anything can reduce the attributes or boosts of an enchanted item.¡±


    ¡°But you knew what the dragon¡¯s scale was just by holding it,¡± Hana said.


    Magwi nodded. ¡°Yes, as a forgemaster I can identify a wide variety of items by physically handling them.¡±


    The woman paused and stared at the two siblings expectantly.


    Finally, it dawned on Jinyoung. ¡°Shit. I can [scan] it from a distance.¡±


    The forgemaster nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes, boy! But more than that, you can see all the attributes and descriptions, can¡¯t you?¡±


    When Jinyoung nodded, the woman exploded with laughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s insane! Even the technomancer doesn¡¯t have that!¡±


    The forgemaster calmed herself down and explained that there were multiple classes that could unlock identification skills. These skills allowed players to discover information about items, monsters, environments and even other players. But each skill was imperfect in the same way.


    ¡°They require you to build a database of terms. For example, those vambraces have class affinities, but until you¡¯ve identified enough items with class affinities, you can¡¯t see that!¡±


    The forgemaster was fairly dancing with excitement before she slowly started to calm down.


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    ¡°I knew the system had some secrets, but this takes the cake,¡± she whistled.


    ¡°So what does this mean?¡± Hana asked.


    The old woman took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°It means, child, that the second word gets out, your brother will have a target on his back. It means that unless you want every corporate dog on your trail, you need to be better at keeping this quiet.¡±


    ***


    Cyrus hated hospitals. He spent days by his father¡¯s hospital bed. He was tired of doctors, nurses and the scent of antiseptic that permeated the place.


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    The boy¡¯s voice reminded Cyrus of why he had come. He smiled reassuringly at Jonas.


    ¡°Are they taking good care of you here, squire?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. A-and I feel great, too. I think I should be back to fighting shape in a few days, sir,¡± Jonas stammered out.


    Cyrus did his best to smile warmly. ¡°No need for all that. Take your time, the clan¡¯ll take care of any bills and your family will be properly compensated. Just rest up.¡±


    He had a busy schedule, but Cyrus insisted on visiting the squire. It was the least he could do.


    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±


    But Cyrus knew better. Jonas¡¯ injuries resulted in spinal damage to his nerves. If he was lucky, the recovery would take months if not years. The halls of the hospital were pristine and lifeless. The few nurses and doctors he came across bowed their heads low and scurried to remove themselves from his path.


    ¡°For the good of Society,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°There was a time when you believed that,¡± Seah said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to visit every injured rookie, you know?¡±


    Cyrus turned around to see his wife standing in the hall. He must¡¯ve walked right past her and not noticed. She flashed him a warm smile, but Cyrus was in no mood to be comforted.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be here if you¡¯d just showed up at Seorak like you were supposed to,¡± he countered.


    Seah just smiled. ¡°You know as much as I do that heroes are forged through fire. You can¡¯t build a flame without some collateral damage.¡±


    ¡°What about the others, Seah?¡±


    A flicker of emotion shown on Seah¡¯s face, but only for a moment.


    ¡°Guildmaster Muho nearly died out there and the Arcane Fox clan lost a squire in the dungeon!¡± he shouted. He looked back down the empty hall.


    ¡°We do what we can, Cyrus. That¡¯s all we can do.¡±


    Her voice was cold. Cyrus had become accustomed to this version of his wife. Frigid and calculating, not unlike his grandfather. But over the past few weeks, he could see cracks in her armor. A small twitch or a bit of sadness in her eyes when she smiled. He could see it now.


    ¡°Where were you just now, Seah?¡±


    Seah smiled again, the mask firmly back in place. ¡°I delivered a message to Hana and Jinyoung. They¡¯re headed north to search for Hana¡¯s estranged husband.¡±


    Cyrus was quiet for a moment. Not because he didn¡¯t suspect Seah of foul play, but because he hoped he was wrong.


    ¡°Since when does the Director of the Player Society act as a carrier pigeon?¡±


    ¡°Since your grandfather asked,¡± she answered simply.


    ***


    ¡°We found the dungeon source of the Seorak Outbreak and defeated the boss,¡± Jinyoung said. Magwi had been full of questions, not just about Jinyoung but the dragon¡¯s scale and its origins.


    The blackened forgemaster¡¯s eyebrows raised upon hearing that. ¡°Gigan Corp¡¯s been milking that one for years. It¡¯s about time someone stood up to them.¡±


    The two siblings traded confused looks before questioning the wizened woman.


    ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t you know, girl? Rumor was, Gigan Corp¡¯s had the mining rights to the Seorak dungeon since the first outbreak,¡± the forgemaster replied, still inspecting the scale. ¡°The few players who still go looking for the dungeon either get warned off or disappear. Haven¡¯t you heard the stories?¡±


    Hana and Jinyoung looked at each other. Each trying to digest the information and both trying to decipher what this meant for them.


    Shit.

 Crossing Lines (5)

    Willow walked through the market through throngs of players haggling for items of questionable quality and dubious origins. Now and then a merchant¡¯s assistant would spot her coming and flash her a smile, pointing at freshly polished weapons or promising high quality inventory. Most of the time, she gave a warm smile in return and kept walking. Once, a merchant recognized her and corrected his assistant¡¯s catcalls with a slap to the head.


    While she had spent most of her life hiding her lineage, it did come with its benefits.


    She made her way to the Player Society¡¯s outpost in Seongsoo. A large structure that towered above everything else in the area which wasn¡¯t saying much. The neighborhood had been ravaged by monster attacks during the Break. Even now, there was a sharp border drawn along the south where players kept guard against monster attacks.


    Willow moved past the Society¡¯s structure into a nondescript brick building next door. As she walked past, the heads of several artisans working an open air forge bowed in greeting. A greeting Willow returned before opening the unlocked door and walking in.


    It was a simple home. There was only one bedroom with a roll out cot along with a simple kitchen and sparsely decorated living room. Willow drew in a breath and smelled the unmistakable scent of apple-honey curry.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    Jaena poked her head out from the kitchen. There was plenty of lighting in the small home, but Willow¡¯s mother¡¯s smile alone could have lit the room.


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    There was a clatter of silverware as Jaena dropped a ladle and rushed to hug her daughter. For a few moments, Willow could forget about the world. There were no thoughts about ominous messages, dangerous travels to the northlands or family troubles.


    For a few moments, she could just hug her mother.


    ***


    The next morning, Hana and Jinyoung met Willow at the train station. The two siblings spent the night at an inn while Willow gathered the rest of the party¡¯s supplies. The Player Society arranged for a private train to take them north, turning what could have been eight days of travel into one day and one night.


    Just like before, the train car was empty. Trains were rarely open to the public and used only for official business, And each member of the Phoenix got the impression that the Society didn¡¯t want knowledge of whatever was happening up north to be public.


    Once the train car left the station and Hana made sure that there was no one else on the train except the conductor, the party sat down in an open train car to discuss the days ahead.


    ¡°I have eight Fire Stones, three winter jackets, Blessed Gloves of Cold Resistance and some heavy winter boots.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Hana responded. It was late in summer, but the northlands were well below zero at this time of year. And without any contacts, it was difficult to know whether any encampments or safe zones would be available to them.


    ¡°We have to assume the worst and go in prepared. Nothing like Seorak this time. We stick together or we¡¯re dead.¡±


    The others nodded.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hana continued. ¡°We¡¯ll be on this train for a few more hours. Status update.¡±


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    It was a common occurrence for clans to keep a member board in order to keep track of player abilities and progress. For larger parties and clans, it was a way to assign tasks and jobs according to specialties. For smaller clans and parties, status updates were a chance for veterans to help and advise lower level players.


    Willow hesitated before speaking. ¡°Level 17, scholar. I¡¯m pushing stat points into wisdom and luck.¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at the last word.


    ¡°Luck?¡± he asked.


    The scholar class was one of the worst classes in the system because it was a gateway class. It led to bigger and better classes with powerful and wide-ranging skills, spells and abilities. But as far as he knew, none of them required luck


    "She''s going for ''alchemist''."


    Jinyoung blinked. The alchemist was a well-known class, but for all the wrong reasons. On paper, the alchemist looked like a top-tier support class. Thanks to its inclusion in the scholar tree, players had access to a full-range of magic spells. In addition, alchemists could cook potions and elixirs much in the same way blacksmiths could craft weapons and equipment. In theory, an alchemist could both cast offensive spells while carrying and crafting a bevy of support items for a team.


    But the alchemist class also had its drawbacks. Potion and elixirs were orders of difficulty harder to craft than weapons or enchantments. The most basic potions had a 60% failure rate which only got worse with higher-level items.


    By far, the biggest problem was the alchemist class'' skills. None of them were geared towards MP or mana control. This meant players had nothing to rely on for spellcasting besides innate talent and control. In short, alchemists had the spellcasting abilities of basic scholars with unreliable crafting mechanics. In other words, they were nearly useless.


    "There are maybe 15 alchemists in the whole of the city," Jinyoung said. "Only two or three are worth their salt. The rest are basically worker bees that craft and refine magic stones. What possible reason-"


    "Show him," Hana interjected.


    Carefully, Willow opened her pack and removed a pair of very worn gloves.


    Nimble Hands of Fire Light


    Item: Gloves


    Attributes: Increased crafting (+20% up to max of 80%) (BROKEN)


    "Even broken, those gloves are worth a year''s salary. Each."


    Jinyoung sat quietly, processing the information he had just been given. And when he didn''t speak, Willow voiced her opinion.


    "You''re right, there are maybe 15 alchemists in the whole of the city. And even with these gloves, it¡¯ll be years before I¡¯m able to craft anything helpful consistently. But that''s why we need them,¡± the words tumbled out of Willow like a torrent. ¡°If you haven''t noticed, injured players in the field have a low survival rate. It wasn¡¯t much higher before when there were more alchemists, but it was higher."


    She was right. Most players in the field didn''t survive unless they received immediate medical attention. That meant a doctor or, more likely, a mage who could teleport you to a hospital.


    "You know, it''s only a matter of time until those gloves are unusable. And finding another pair isn''t likely. What if you end up with some useless class that''s worthless?" Jinyoung countered. "What if you end up just another weak player?"


    Willow stood up. "I want to help people, Jinyoung. I don''t have to be strong to do that. And if all I cared about was strength, then I''d never have enough."


    ¡°Not to mention¡­¡± Hana started.


    It took a second before Jinyoung understood what his sister was getting at.


    ¡°My [scan] skill¡­¡± he finished.


    Willow nodded excitedly. ¡°You were able to help me cast spells better. Why wouldn¡¯t that apply to crafting, too?¡±


    Jinyoung nodded. He had to admit that it wasn¡¯t a bad idea. During their time in the forgemaster¡¯s workshop, Jinyoung hadn¡¯t just [scanned] weapons and armor, he had [scanned] everything there. His skill allowed him to see details of crafting materials, crafting equipment, and so much more. He¡¯d had to let the skill fade or risk being completely overwhelmed by the onslaught of information.


    ¡°Jinyoung,¡± Hana said. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡±


    Jinyoung stared back before sighing.


    ¡°Level 21,¡± Jinyoung stated simply.


    The others stared for a second before realizing there wasn¡¯t much else. It was quiet for a few uncomfortable seconds in the train car as the scenery rumbled past.

 Crossing Lines (6)

    ¡°What did your mother say?¡±


    The question had been burning on Hana¡¯s lips since the party met at the train station in the morning. But she had to wait for a quiet moment away from prying ears before asking. Unfortunately, that included her brother.


    ¡°She said that if we weren¡¯t on the corporations¡¯ radar before, we are now,¡± Willow replied. ¡°The Seorak Outbreak was firmly under the control of multiple small subsidiary companies, but they all led back to Gigan Corp.¡±


    Hana cursed silently. She hated to ask, but there was a reason they had traveled to Seongsoo. A reason they went to visit Magwi the Forgemaster and a reason that Hana sent Willow to see her mother.


    ¡°What about the Cha Bell Group?¡±


    Willow swallowed the lump in her throat and tried her best to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. Just the mention of the name brought back memories Willow wanted to forget forever.


    ¡°They¡¯re sending parties north, just like you expected. Whatever¡¯s happening with the northern barons, they¡¯re involved.¡±


    Hana nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°What about Jinyoung?¡± Willow asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    For a moment, it looked like Hana was going to answer. But then the moment passed and Hana walked out of the train car leaving Willow behind with her answer.


    ***


    After the debrief, Jinyoung needed space. The train was six empty cars and the engine car. More than enough space for some privacy between the party of the Phoenix and the single train conductor.


    Hana watched her young brother for a second before approaching him. It had been weeks since he had returned to her life, and there was still a strangeness. In their quieter moments, she watched him just like she had when she was a young. Back then he had always seemed unafraid and brave.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s only response was a curt nod.


    At level 21, his stats were 21 across the board. It allowed Jinyoung more strength than a scholar or mage, more luck than a rogue, and more intelligence than a fighter. But fighters didn¡¯t need intelligence stats any more than scholars needed strength.


    ¡°What about the skill quests?¡± Hana asked, interrupting the spiraling thoughts in his mind.


    QUEST: The Path of the WIND (II)


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    OBJECTIVE: Use [DASH+] to move across 10,000 km of distance


    Current Progress: 1,024 of 10,000 km


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    QUEST: The Path of the ONION KNIGHT (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Reveal and COMPLETE 3 secret SUBQUESTS.


    Current Progress: 2 secret SUBQUEST completed (66% completed)


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    QUEST: The Path of INNER STRENGTH (II)


    OBJECTIVE: Reduce or EVADE 1,000,000 damage while CHARGED.


    Current progress: 5,032 DMG reduced or evaded (0.5% COMPLETED)


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    Progress was slow since unlocking [charge+]. And while he was beginning to adjust to the skills and progression system, there was no way to know what was waiting for him further along the line.


    ¡°This sucks,¡± he said plainly. It wasn¡¯t a question or even a statement. It was just the truth.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Your skills are definitely coming along and it¡¯s only a matter of time until¡­¡± Hana¡¯s voice trailed off when she saw her brother shaking his head.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it. You got to choose your class. Same with Willow,¡± he gestured back towards the front of the car. ¡°Everyone else gets it easy while I¡¯m here getting the short end of the stick.¡±


    The shield knight bristled.


    When they were young, she¡¯d heard her brother talk like this with their father. The man who had raised him, but Jinyoung had always kept at arm¡¯s distance. She didn¡¯t see back then what she saw now: ego.


    ¡°We all have our burdens to bear,¡± Hana said. ¡°Willow¡¯s got hers, same as you. She just has a better handle on it than you.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Jinyoung started. ¡°There was a moment just after I¡¯d beaten the Black Shrine quest when I felt happy. Like I was finally going to be free from that hell. I guess I didn¡¯t realize the truth.¡±


    ¡°And what truth is that?¡±


    Hana could see Jinyoung flexing his hands.


    ¡°Johann¡¯s dead, Cyrus is a pawn of his grandfather, Seah is¡­ someone completely different. And you¡­¡± His voice trailed off.


    ¡°What about me?¡±


    Jinyoung looked up at his sister with guilt straining against the bounds of his eyes.


    ¡°I missed your life, Hana. I wasn¡¯t there for you.¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t, but there were others. Dad was always there and, for a while, so were Seah and Cyrus. Not to mention Johann.¡±


    At the mention of their lost friend, Jinyoung¡¯s expression darkened. It didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    ¡°Jinyoung, this isn¡¯t your fault,¡± Hana pleaded. ¡°You didn¡¯t choose to-¡±


    ¡°Sunbae?¡±


    Jinyoung and Hana turned around to see Willow waiting for them.


    ¡°The conductor says we¡¯re still a ways out, but the weather¡¯ll start turning soon.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Jinyoung asked.


    ¡°The north is about 30 below freezing, but we¡¯ll start feeling it soon,¡± Willow answered. ¡°We should start getting into the cold weather clothes soon.¡±


    Jinyoung brushed past her and walked back to the train car where their gear was stored.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get changed.¡±

 Crossing Lines (7)

    This was bad.


    The train had stopped half a day¡¯s journey short of their destination and the conductor refused to move any further. The plan had been to ride the train through the mountain range that separates the Northern Barony from the south and walk to the capital city from there.


    The only problem was that even though it was barely 3 in the afternoon, the clouds had completely darkened the sky and a freezing wind was blowing outside. The train¡¯s conductor ushered them into the lead car where he pointed at the tracks around the bend. They¡¯d completely frozen over, far beyond what the train was capable of driving through.


    ¡°Can we clear the ice?¡± Willow asked hopefully.


    The conductor shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point. The tracks beyond are just as bad, if not worse,¡± he replied. ¡°It¡¯d be faster to walk in from here.¡±


    None of the party were interested in that. The mountain passes were treacherous at best and impassable in multiple areas.


    The conductor read their minds and spoke before the others could.


    ¡°If I try to drive the train through that, we¡¯ll likely derail. Attempting to clear the ice would take months. I¡¯ll be here to take you back, but this is as far as I can go, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    The northern regions had been trouble for any parties that had traveled this way. There was a reason the Society required permits and approval processes for anyone who sought to go north.


    Hana sighed.


    ¡°Everyone gear up, we head out in five.¡±


    ***


    The party split the gear up evenly. Each person received a winter jacket and boots. And while Willow equipped the Blessed Gloves of Cold Resistance, she received two Fire Stones while the others had three each. Jinyoung buried one deep inside the jacket while the other two went to each of two pockets.


    Still, when the car doors opened, the severity of the cold nearly knocked the wind out of him. The air was like needles and while the Fire Stones were certainly keeping his legs and chest warm, he could easily feel the cold creeping in along his arms and hands.


    The party walked for an hour, barely making it two miles but it felt like so much longer. The mountain terrain was rocks over slick and frozen mud. The expectation was that the northlands would be covered in snow, but snow requires precipitation. Instead, the dry arid north was simply frozen. The biting cold made it impossible to talk and the party had to pause occasionally to tighten their jackets to keep the cold from getting in.


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    Jinyoung tried to shout against the wind, but he couldn¡¯t even hear his own voice much less hope that anyone else would hear it. Thinking better of a second attempt, he flicked on his clan chat.


    What¡¯s the plan, Hana?


    Up ahead, he could see Hana scanning their surroundings looking for something that was beyond Jinyoung¡¯s imagination. Eventually, she found something and pointed at a formation of rocks in the distance.


    Up there. Follow me.


    Behind him, he could see Willow struggling against the wind. Under normal circumstances, he would¡¯ve turned back to help, but he was having trouble walking enough as it was. Slowly, the party made their way towards the rocks which turned out not to be rocks at all. Rather, they were the ruins of a structure that had long since bowed to nature.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Jinyoung asked once they were out of the wind.


    The structure was built out of concrete and led straight into the earth itself. It was hard to tell whether it was a haphazardly built tunnel or simply adapted from a natural cave formation. A mix of concrete steps and flattened rocks led underground.


    ¡°Old war bunkers from before the Break,¡± Hana explained. ¡°They¡¯re everywhere along the border.¡±


    Hana peered ahead where the steps flattened out and followed the natural terrain of the cave.


    ¡°These tunnels aren¡¯t too deep, but they¡¯ll keep us out of the wind.¡±


    Hana was right. The tunnels were maybe ten to fifteen feet below ground at most. Jinyoung could still hear the howling wind above their heads, but at least they could talk without getting a faceful of freezing cold air.


    Clink.


    The sound was barely above a whisper, but against the dull roar of the wind outside, it was deafening. Three heads turned to look back the way they had come and saw a man standing¡­ no, walking. Slowly towards them.


    Willow waved at the stranger. ¡°Are you part of the survey team?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be some luck,¡± Hana said. ¡°But even if he¡¯s with the barons, he should be able to help us find our bearings once we get back above ground.¡±


    ¡°And then we can find your husband, right?¡± Jinyoung asked.


    Hana took two steps forward before looking back at Jinyoung.


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret marrying Seunghyo, I just wish that things hadn¡¯t ended the way they did and-¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Willow interjected.


    The last bit wasn¡¯t aimed at anything Jinyoung said, rather it was the stranger who had finally walked close enough that Willow could actually see him. It was his gait that raised her eyebrow first. He was limping which wasn¡¯t strange, but the crooked shoulder was unnatural. The man was obviously a player judging by the padded armor he wore, but his skin was beyond pale. It was blue. The pallor of something long-since frozen and dead.


    Almost unconsciously Jinyoung [scanned] the stranger.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he whispered.


    [SCAN+]


    Monster: PLAYER (Frost Bitten)


    Recommended Level: 12


    Health: 100%


    Attributes: FROST BITE


    Weaknesses: FIRE, HOLY, SIN

 Crossing Lines (8)

    ¡°Holy shit,¡± he whispered.


    [SCAN+]


    Monster: PLAYER (Frostbitten)


    Recommended Level: 12


    Health: 100%


    Attributes: FROSTBITE


    Weaknesses: FIRE, HOLY, SIN


    The words came fast, but not fast enough.


    ¡°Hostile!!¡± he cried out.


    The stranger swung wide and Willow barely stumbled out of the way. Instead of hitting Willow in the body, the player¡¯s hand went crashing into the concrete wall with a sickening crack as bone and flesh crumbled in the impact.


    ¡°Hold it, right there!¡±


    Hana stepped forward with her sword and shield as Willow scrambled back to regain her footing. The stranger took several steps forward until the party could make out the details of his gear. By the look of it, he was a close-range fighter of some sort. Maybe even a knight judging by the heavy plate armor. Judging by his face, he wasn¡¯t much older than Jinyoung and certainly younger than Hana. But, his face wore no expression and his pupils were nearly white themselves with an unearthly glow, giving him a lifeless almost haunting countenance.


    He either didn¡¯t hear Hana¡¯s order or he didn¡¯t care, but either way he stepped closer.


    ¡°Jinyoung?¡± Hana called back.


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely a monster. Low-level by the look of it, but it says he¡¯s ¡®Frostbitten.¡¯¡±


    Hana looked at Willow who shook her head. Neither one had heard of that either.


    ¡°Hey! Get any closer and I¡¯ll cut your goddamn head off!¡± Hana warned.


    Still the man didn¡¯t stop.


    Damn it, she thought.


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    The [shield bash] sent the stranger sailing through the air before he landed in a crumpled heap six feet away. The crashing sound of his armor scraping and skidding across the floor echoed in the narrow halls.


    The thing that looked like it was a man let out a screeching scream that nothing human was capable of. It echoed through the corridor even after the clatter of metal against concrete had stopped.


    It kept echoing and echoing. Until they realized what it was. There were more of them.


    ¡°Head¡¯s up,¡± Hana whispered.


    Back the direction the stranger had walked in from, there could hear the ambling scraping sounds of feet being dragged along the floor. Hana strained her eyes and peered into the shadow, trying to see past the floating dust. Until she realized it wasn¡¯t dust she was seeing, it was the faint glow of eyes just like those of the man she¡¯d just hit.


    ¡°Willow, stay behind us and use your spells whenever you have a clear shot. Hana and I will push forward and-¡±


    ¡°Retreat,¡± Hana interrupted.


    ¡°What?¡± The look on Jinyoung¡¯s face was incredulous. ¡°We can handle them!¡±


    His sister grit her teeth and gave him a grim look that gave him pause.


    ¡°Retreat,¡± she growled through her teeth.


    Jinyoung ears pricked when he heard it. It wasn¡¯t the shuffling of feet anymore, but a clamoring of bodies moving through the tunnels behind them. Whatever the hell these things were, there were a lot of them.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    This time Jinyoung immediately turned and started running .The party moved quickly through the corridor. There were bends and turns, but no branching halls which made navigating easy. The floors were clean, almost well kept except the ruined state of the structure overall. But unlike dungeons, there was no sign of detritus. In fact, it didn¡¯t feel like a dungeon at all.


    After a few minutes, they could hear the familiar chill of the outside air on their faces.


    Something¡¯s wrong here, Hana said. This place is too clean. It¡¯s¡­


    It¡¯s not a dungeon, Jinyoung finished.


    The two of them had the same thought. Whatever these things were, they had entered from the outside. That meant these monsters had wandered far and wide from whatever dungeon gate had spawned them.


    ¡°We must not be far from the exit,¡± Willow called out. From behind, they could still hear the scraping and dragging of their pursuers.


    Finally, the bends and turns were punctuated by steps. A ten meter straightaway followed by a handful of steps followed by a slight bend and a repeat in the pattern. The temperature dropped 5 degrees, then another 10 and then more until they were back outside in the freezing cold.


    Unlike the frozen wasteland earlier, this end of the tunnel deposited the party in the midst of a rocky terrain between mountains. There was a path leading up into the rocky peaks and another leading down across precarious paths into the darkened gorge below.


    ¡°Which way?¡± Willow huffed out. ¡°We¡¯ve only got two options.¡±


    Jinyoung [scanned] their surroundings before answering. ¡°No. We don¡¯t.¡±


    He pointed up at the rocking bluffs above them where shadow shapes stood to greet them. Each of them sporting a pair of lightly glowing eyes.

 Crossing Lines (9)

    Henrik was wrapped in multiple layers, but he could still feel the biting cold. He reminded himself it was a good thing. It was when you couldn¡¯t feel anything you had reason to be concerned.


    The tower¡¯s position on the mountain peak gave him a clear view for miles around. From this position, it was impossible to be approached without being seen well in advance and any potential dangers would have to scale sheer cliffs and slick ledges. Not to mention, he¡¯d hidden the ladder to the tower. Just to be safe.


    Seeker to Outrider-1, any movement on the horde?


    The ¡°horde¡± in question was a large group of the Frostbite that was gathered on the slopes to the south. It had slowly made its way east, but so long as it stayed away from the north, he didn¡¯t see any reason to worry.


    This is Outrider-1. No, he responded. I don¡¯t think-


    Before he could finish, he saw a reaction ripple through the horde. These hordes moved like schools of fish and while sudden directional changes were rare, they were also dangerous.


    The horde¡¯s shifted. They¡¯re heading south to the old tunnel shafts.


    Outrider-1, can you see what they¡¯re reacting to?


    He tried his best to pick out details amongst the frozen wasteland, but it was impossible to make out any details.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an eagle, Seeker,¡± he muttered to himself. These codenames seemed utterly unnecessary, especially when it came to clan chat. But, old habits die hard.


    Outrider-1 to Seeker, I think I see¡­ It looks like a small party.


    ¡°Oh, no. Don¡¯t do that,¡± he whispered to himself. The small party was attempting to fight back against the horde. But the commotion they were causing was only attracting more and more of them. The party was heading through a particularly dangerous pass with only one exit: An old miner¡¯s passage that had been locked and barricaded.


    They¡¯re attracting a lot of attention out there, Seeker. They¡¯re heading north to the miner¡¯s passage.


    Is it still locked off, Outrider-1?


    ¡°Cold, Seeker,¡± Henrik said. The miner¡¯s passage would lead them to the safe zone, but the same could be said for the horde.


    I checked yesterday, Seeker.


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    The party wasn¡¯t far out now. Soon enough, they¡¯d have to make their last stand.


    It¡¯s too bad, Herik said. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯d seen a shield knight. You don¡¯t think that¡¯s the Shield Knight of the Bla-


    Seeker to Outrider-1, repeat again. Did you say shield knight?


    ***


    The air was frigid and after running for twenty minutes in the open air, Willow¡¯s lungs were aching with every step. Her eyes were wide, scanning the environment for danger while also picking out dangers in the grounds around her. The terrain was rocky and slick. And with the monsters behind them, a twisted ankle was just as deadly as the appearance of more monsters. Maybe even more so.


    Willow! Head¡¯s up, the outcropping!


    She looked up to see it about 100 feet overhead. A stone ledge that overlooked the path they were currently running on. Once the others had passed through, Willow cast [arcane bolt], striking the ledge at its base and sending a shower of rubble down.


    ¡°Willow!¡± Hana shouted. ¡°Hit it again!¡±


    Willow closed her eyes and drew in as much mana as she could handle. The power swelled up inside her like a crashing wave and when she could contain no more, the [arcane bolt] shot out as raw power, tracing an arc and creating a chaotic explosion. The stone outcropping collapsed, sending boulders the size of motorcycles tumbling down the cliffside. These boulders dislodged others until the entire cliffside was awash in hundred pound chunks of rock blocking the path for the party¡¯s pursuers.The resulting wall was impassable, but from the sounds coming from the other side, it wasn¡¯t for lack of trying. They could hear the rocks crumbling as hands and feet struggled to get first footholds.


    Hana was the first to turn away.


    ¡°That should buy us some time. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ***


    It was another ten minutes before any of them spoke. The shock of seeing that many players attacking all at once left each of them struggling to understand what exactly they¡¯d seen.


    ¡°Any idea what they were?¡± Jinyoung asked.


    The party was slowly making their way along a long-since worn trail.


    Hana shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of ¡®Frostbite¡¯ before, at least not as a system term or monster attribute.¡±


    ¡°But those things weren¡¯t monsters,¡± Willow interjected. ¡°They were definitely players.¡±


    The stare from his teammates would¡¯ve been obvious to a blind man.


    ¡°The [scan] definitely categorized them as monsters, but the monster name was ¡®Player (Frostbitten)¡¯.¡±


    The three players walked on in silence. Each of them knew what happened if a player killed another player. It wasn¡¯t a common occurrence anymore, not since the early days of the Break.


    ¡°Is that why you wanted us to retreat, Hana? We could¡¯ve handled them in the corridor where they would¡¯ve narrowed down.¡±


    The veteran player was silent for a moment. ¡°I told you to retreat because we needed to retreat, Jinyoung. And next time, I expect you¡¯ll follow my orders when they¡¯re given. Is that understood?¡±


    Willow tried not to stare, but she could see the tension. Hana¡¯s hard stare and just the ghost of tension on Jinyoung¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t anything per say, but the sliver of a moment that passed between them was defiance enough.


    ¡°Understood.¡±

 Crossing Lines (10)

    Jinyoung was always distant. Not as much with her, but with their father. Or, that is, the man who adopted them after the Break. There was a period of time when the world was lost in chaos, when laws and rules were tossed aside as vestiges of the past. It was hard enough surviving, let alone taking on the care of children who weren¡¯t your own flesh and blood.


    Youngho was by no means a natural father figure, but he did his best. Enough so that Hana took to calling him father rather easily. She¡¯d long since forgotten the names and faces of her own parents.


    On the other hand, Jinyoung was old enough to remember his parents vividly. Even as an adult, Hana couldn¡¯t remember why Jinyoung had accepted his offer to adopt him. Still, for a time, Jinyoung tried to make things work. While each of them were closer to Hana than each other, they sat down for breakfast and dinner every day. Then there was a night, many years ago when that all changed.


    There¡¯s a tone that their father¡¯s voice took on when he was angry. His words were sharper and when he spoke, there was almost a hiss to the way pronounced his words. He never raised his voice, at least not with Hana. It wasn¡¯t uncommon to hear her brother and father argue, but this time was different.


    ¡°You knew, and yet you never told me.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my place.¡±


    Their voices were low, but there was no mistaking the anger in Jinyoung¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You goddamned knew, old man. And instead of telling me, you-¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down. Your sister¡¯s asleep upstairs.¡±


    Hana crept to the top of the stairs, careful to avoid the spots of the floor that creaked audibly.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a way back, I need to know. I don¡¯t want any more secrets,¡± Jinyoung hissed.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way back. Not yet. The water isn¡¯t safe and travel to the north still isn¡¯t open. We don¡¯t know-¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to believe that?¡± Jinyoung exploded. ¡°If you¡¯ve been lying about that, how can I believe anything else?¡±


    Hana held her breath at the top of the stairs. She didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but she knew enough to understand the importance of that moment. Of the stakes it held for their relationship moving forward. She couldn¡¯t hear her father¡¯s response, but she could feel the reaction.


    Instead of listening to the rest of the conversation, she crept back to her bedroom and lay down under the blankets. Quietly hoping that it was all a bad dream.


    The next morning and for several mornings after, Jinyoung would leave before breakfast and arrive late at night well after dinner. It wasn¡¯t until Hana was old enough to start training for the Academy that he started to make time for her again. But always away from their father.


    ***


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust it,¡± Jinyoung said.


    The path led to a small gully which had long since dried out. The walls weren¡¯t sheer, but climbing out would prove a challenge for Hana and Jinyoung since their hands weren¡¯t protected against the harsh cold. And they¡¯d be at a severe disadvantage if there were any monsters waiting for them at the top after such an arduous climb. Luckily, there was a mining shaft situated just above the gully which was easily accessible by foot. Luckier still, the padlock holding the reinforced steel gate shut was unlocked.


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    ¡°I don¡¯t trust it either,¡± Willow added.


    The three of them stared at the lock. It, like the gate, was old and well worn but kept in good condition. In fact, every bit of manmade architecture seemed to be in working order. Far beyond what Hana would have expected this far north under these conditions.


    Traveling back the way they came wasn¡¯t an option and taking on walls of the gully was asking for trouble. The mining shaft led in the right direction and, judging by the condition of the gate, it was well-maintained.


    ¡°No one trusts it, but we don¡¯t have any other option.¡±


    The gate swung inward silently exposing a wide passage, large enough to fit a caravan. Hana slowly pushed the gate closed behind and latched it shut careful to leave the padlock to the side.


    Do you see anything, Jinyoung?


    There was no telling if more of the Frostbite were in here. And until they knew what drew their attention in the first place, using clan chat was safer than talking aloud.


    Jinyoung''s eyes narrowed, then he shook his head.


    Nothing comes up.


    Walking through the abandoned structure reminded Jinyoung of the Academy¡¯s final test. Without any bearing on the monsters of this region, the party was forced to move slowly and quietly.


    Up ahead. Willow pointed out a map on the wall.


    The structure was three floors, built into the base of a mountain. Each floor was offset from the previous floors leading further north.


    Looks like there¡¯s an exit on the topmost floor, Hana said. If we move carefully, we should be able to get there in an hour.


    Each floor was a painstaking exercise in clearing passages and rooms before making progress. The party would round a corner to find rows of shelves, neatly organized with books and files in one room while there were barracks with well-made beds and clothes hung up in closets. It wouldn¡¯t have surprised anyone if they rounded a corner and found a family at dinner or a group of players hunkering down for the night. But each hall and each room of each floor was empty. The only sound was the occasional shuffle as the three players made their way through.


    Every few minutes, Jinyoung [scanned] their surroundings and with the exception of the occasional flicker, the system returned nothing. If there was ever life in these tunnels, there was none now.


    The upper floor was obviously a garage, probably for large machinery used to maintain and create the structure they had traveled through. But whatever was housed here was long gone leaving a large open space with a single exit to the outside.


    ¡°We should set up a fire,¡± Jinyoung whispered.


    Hana grit her teeth. They¡¯d cleared each floor, but it was still an unknown environment. The idea of making camp or even speaking out loud felt like a breach. She was about to say so when Jinyoung held a finger to his lips.


    Just go with me on this.


    Hana and Willow traded looks before nodding in agreement.


    Lighten your load, we¡¯re not alone.


    Jinyoung emptied a small pile of books he¡¯d collected on his way up. Hana nodded at Willow who cast [ember]. It wasn¡¯t long before the books were smoldering. Meanwhile, Jinyoung [scanned] the garage again. It was a wide open space, but he could see the mana pulse outwards, searching for something. And just like each time he¡¯d activated his skill over the past hour, he saw the same flicker. The system returned nothing, but he knew the flicker wasn¡¯t nothing.


    Once the party was ready, Jinyoung unsheathed his sword while Hana did the same.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re out there,¡± he called. ¡°You can either come out now, or I can come get you.¡±


    It was a jarring sight. Jinyoung had kept his eyes on the way they had just come. And while there was nothing there a second ago, suddenly he could make out the outline of a man.


    ¡°Step into the light!¡± shouted Hana.


    The stranger held his hands wide at his sides to show he posed no threat and slowly walked forward. The party scrutinized his gait, looking for any sign of a tremor or awkward limp like the other Frostbite had exhibited.


    Once the stranger had gotten close enough, he spoke with a calm voice. ¡°You shouldn''t have come, Hana.¡±


    Hana stiffened. She half expected not to find him. Or worse. Actually, she had never thought of what would actually happen if she found him.


    It was Seunghyo.

 Crossing Lines (11)

    Hana felt the stress from not knowing fade and quickly be replaced by a wealth of emotions boiling within her. Even with the cold air, she could feel her cheeks flush and the heat rise to her face until she could bear it now more.


    ¡°How could you be such an idiot?!¡±


    Everyone else froze as Hana¡¯s voice rang out and echoed through the quiet corridors. But Hana didn¡¯t care, the hours spent preparing for this journey and quiet moments on the train afforded her too much time to go over in her mind whether she would be relieved once she saw Seunghyo, or enraged by his foolishness. The rage won out. But before she had a chance to follow up her initial outburst, Seunghyo turned into a blur as he moved towards her. He closed the distance between them quickly and silently. His cupped hands flew around her mouth and he put a finger to his lips.


    Hana¡¯s eyes were wide with anger, but then she heard it. They all did. A creak.


    Willow immediately cast [frost], sending out an icy chill and immediately putting out the small fire she had lit. Four breaths were held in silence.


    Criik.


    Hana didn¡¯t even have to give out the order. Each of them had their gear put together within seconds. They could hear it clearly now, shuffling and scraping coming up the stairs from the lower levels.


    Hana thought quickly. There were only two options  and while they might stand a chance in a narrow corridor, the parking garage they were in wasn¡¯t ideal against a large group. A group of seven or fewer wouldn¡¯t be difficult, but any more than that and they would likely be encircled.


    Hana drew a breath and whispered, ¡°We need to move outside. Jinyoung, cover our backs while-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Seunghyo quickly cut her off. ¡°There¡¯s a horde outside. Likely bigger than the one in here.¡±


    Willow cast glances at the two experienced players. ¡°So we can¡¯t go outside and we can¡¯t fight them here. What other choice do we have?¡±


    The pathfinder moved to a wall and placed his palms flat against the concrete surface. He slid his hands along the wall until suddenly he stopped.


    ¡°Found you,¡± he whispered.


    Suddenly, a seam appeared in the wall¡¯s smooth surface and swung inward. A door.


    He turned around and grinned. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±


    The corridors of the structure had been smooth and well-designed. There were small portholes to let in natural light, just enough to illuminate the interior without being a security risk. During their journey up the structure, it was obvious that any former inhabitants had taken good care to keep their homes and workspaces clean.


    These internal corridors were the opposite. The walls were rough and unpainted while the floors seemed unfinished. Some areas would be tiled until they weren¡¯t, as if the workmen who had started decided it wasn¡¯t worth the trouble. Here and there, the flooring would become uneven and unpaved, revealing the rocky surface of the mountain itself. Instead the glow of reflected natural light, there was an artificial hum as emergency lights dimly lit the halls.


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    The internal scenery whizzed by as the party ran through the halls. Any need for stealth was replaced with an urgency to put as much distance between themselves and their former position as possible.


    Jinyoung had brief glimpses of laboratories filled with glassware and machinery. Some rooms were filled with desks and papers while others had holding rooms. It was difficult to tell, but he thought he saw surgical rooms that would be better suited to hospitals. It was a jarring difference from the ¡°front¡± half of the structure.


    ¡°How much further until-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re nearly there,¡± Seunghyo answered. ¡°Just a hundred meters ahead and we should be safe for the time being.¡±


    ***


    The ¡°safe point¡± was a stairwell leading to an above ground exit. Seunghyo paused and looked up into the daylight. His eyes flicked from side to side as his senses read the atmosphere, looking for signs of danger.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear, but I don¡¯t know for how long. We should-¡±


    It was Hana¡¯s turn to cut him off. ¡°Jinyoung, head up top and make sure we¡¯re in the clear. Willow, go with him and watch his back.¡±


    The two nodded, eager to finally take the lead instead of following.


    Once she was sure they were up and outside the stairwell, she turned her attention to her ex-husband.


    ¡°I knew you were irresponsible, but this might be the stupidest thing you¡¯ve ever done.¡±


    Seunghyo shrugged, ¡°What was I supposed to do, Hana? I got the call. If it wasn¡¯t me, it¡¯d be someone else and-¡±


    His response only served to enrage Hana more. ¡°Then let it be someone else, Seunghyo! You¡¯ve been up here for how long? You¡¯re in over your head, just like always.¡±


    She could see she¡¯d struck a nerve. Seunghyo liked to hide behind a smile and kind words, but his expression faltered with her last comment.


    After a second, he found his voice. ¡°He called for help, Hana. There are people up here that need help, so I came to help.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Why¡¯re you up here trying to help people when you should be down there?¡±


    Hana¡¯s voice had risen to the point where she was practically yelling. But Seunghyo¡¯s mask was back in place and his tone was even. ¡°We all have our reasons for doing things.¡±


    ¡°What possible reason could you have, Seunghyo?¡±


    ¡°Our reasons are our own, Hana. You know that better than anyone.¡±


    It was Hana¡¯s turn to pause. His words hurt and she was reminded of one of their last conversations together.


    Hana, it¡¯s clear up here, Jinyoung reported. But we can¡¯t know for how long. If we¡¯re going to move, we need to move now.


    ¡°They confirmed it right?¡±


    In that moment, Hana¡¯s eyes could have cut Seunghyo to ribbons.


    Seunghyo recognized the look in Hana¡¯s eyes and smiled cautiously. ¡°We have to move out before it gets dark. Even in a structure like this, the temperature will drop below freezing, not to mention we aren¡¯t alone in here.¡±


    He¡¯s right, Hana. It¡¯s getting colder up here, too. We need to find safe shelter soon, otherwise we¡¯ll be wandering around in the dark.


    ¡°I have a spot not far from here. If we move now, we¡¯ll get there before dark and you can yell at me more then,¡± he continued.


    Hana drew a deep breath and released it slowly.


    ¡°Then I guess you¡¯d better take the lead.¡±


    Seunghyo chuckled lightly. ¡°With your permission, madam.¡±

 Crossing Lines (12)

    Hana couldn¡¯t help but feel the pit in her stomach grow as they followed Seunghyo through the tunnels. He moved without hesitation, taking branching paths with a second thought. The halls here were clean, too. They looked as if the residents had been here one moment and disappeared the next. There were no tell-tale signs of chaos or a scramble to escape. Just neatly kept homes and workspaces. Compared to all the other dungeons they¡¯d walked through, this felt wrong.


    But this isn¡¯t a dungeon, Hana said to herself. So then, where did everyone go?


    The pathfinder led them through the passages until they arrived at a wide open staging area. A large glass dome allowed light from the sky to filter in and illuminated the entire space. There were several exits leading back up to the surface. Players would have used this space to double check their gear before heading out on missions.


    "Is that where we''re going?" Willow asked.


    The novice pointed at a large gate that led deeper into the structure.


    "Yes, but there''s a problem."


    "As if there weren''t enough going on," Jinyoung muttered.


    "We have to get through an underground gate lock which''ll feed into a series of passages that''ll get us to a bunker where the rest of my team is gathered,¡± Seunghyo explained. ¡°The bunker is far enough underground that we won''t freeze at night and the gate lock itself is concrete reinforced with steel. It''s basically a bank vault."


    "The rest of your team. You mean survey-2 and survey-3?"


    Seunghyo paused for a second and nodded.


    Willow gave a knowing glance at Hana..


    Sunbae, we are supposed to get them all out of here. We can''t just leave the others behind.


    They''re not the ones I''d like to leave behind.


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    Willow snickered.


    "I still don''t hear a problem," Jinyoung said.


    ¡°Sigh. The gate is actually two gates. One outer gate which you can open from the outside, followed by the gate lock chamber where you can close the outer gate. Once the outer gate closes, you can open the inner gate. The last time my team and I went through, we were being chased by something big. We were on our last legs, so we couldn''t put up much of a fight and..."


    "You trapped it in the gate lock chamber," Hana finished.


    "Is there any other way in?" Hana asked grimly.


    "The nearest entrance besides this one is half a day''s journey. We''d freeze to death before we got there."


    Willow''s voice was tinged with concern. "What... was it?"


    The pathfinder shook his head at the memory of it. The monster had been covered in fur, but it moved on two legs. The speed and ferocity of it had been beyond anything he''d encountered, certainly not this far north.


    "It has to be a boss, right?" Willow asked.


    "Possibly, if they were experimenting with opening gates up here, who knows what they let through," Hana said.


    "There''s something else though. Something that didn''t look right," Seunghyo continued. "It wore armor and... it looked like the armor was moving. As if the texture itself was shifting."


    The description raised Jinyoung''s eyebrow and sparked a memory. Something about that felt familiar.


    He drew a short breath and released it. [Scan+].


    He could see it. A glimmer of light like he¡¯d seen twice before in Seorak.


    Okay, don¡¯t react, but there¡¯s a Hidden Quest here.


    Jinyoung could see both of them stiffen and he could imagine the chill running through Willow¡¯s spine. He wasn¡¯t sure if he imagined it, but a second he thought he noticed a tremble in her voice.


    ¡°Well, whatever it is. We don¡¯t have to kill it, right? We just have to get it out of the gate lock so we can pass through?¡±


    Seunghyo¡¯s response was less than enthusiastic. ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t like the idea of whatever that thing is on the loose. If we can, I¡¯d like to end it here and now. It¡¯ll be one less thing to keep an eye out for.¡±


    Hana looked around the staging area. ¡°If this thing is as fast as you say, we can¡¯t fight it here. Willow, take Seunghyo and scout the area above us. Look for anything we can use as cover to mitigate this thing¡¯s speed.¡±


    Before Seunghyo could respond, she turned to Jinyoung and pulled him with her. ¡°We¡¯ll go check the gate lock.¡±


    A flash of annoyance cross Seunghyo¡¯s face before he quickly removed it.


    ¡°I guess that means you, newbie. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Crossing Lines (13)

    It was exactly like he thought. The ground level outside the staging area was littered with huge boulders and rocky terrain. It was ideal for dealing with a large monster, but the slick and rocky terrain would make any attempts at fancy footwork difficult.


    If they could draw the monster out here, then-


    ¡°You and sunbae have a complicated relationship.¡±


    It was less of a question and more of a statement.


    Seunghyo smiled. A snarky response popped into his head, but he decided against it and took a deep breath instead.


    ¡°Did she ever tell you why she chose to become a shield knight?¡±


    Willow shook her head. ¡°I think she mentioned something about wanting to be a knight, but she¡¯s never really talked about it.¡±


    ¡°It was because of her father, actually.¡±


    At the Academy, Hana had struggled after her brother¡¯s disappearance. Once she realized there wasn¡¯t much she could do as an Academy student, she refocused her time and effort into training.


    ¡°The thing is, she wanted to follow in Jinyoung¡¯s footsteps and become a ¡®red knight¡¯,¡± Seunghyo continued.


    Willow¡¯s eyebrow raised. Red knights were a hybrid class that specialized in close-quarters combat like fighters, but they also had access to spells like scholars. It made them incredibly effective in combat thanks to their combination of physical and arcane attacks.


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    After a moment lost in thought, Willow spoke.


    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound like her.¡±


    The pathfinder nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t. It didn¡¯t. And until her father finally sat her down, I don¡¯t think she saw it herself.¡±


    It had been a year after Hana had become a ¡®squire¡¯ that her next job upgrade was available. Even Seunghyo tried to dissuade her from becoming a red knight, but she hadn¡¯t listened. Finally, he¡¯d put the call into her father to talk to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Willow said. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine her as a red knight.¡±


    ¡°Neither could I,¡± Seunghyo thought back. ¡°She wanted to do it for the wrong reasons. Not to mention the whole ¡®berserker¡¯ thing and now her father.¡±


    Willow didn¡¯t understand everything Seunghyo said, but she thought better of prying.


    ***


    After he explained the quest to Hana, she grew quiet. More than likely planning and re-thinking strategies in her head. So, instead of waiting for a response, Jinyoung followed suit and did the same.


    QUEST: Hard Target


    OBJECTIVE: Defeat the SIN Wraith in battle.


    FAILURE: Death.


    REWARD: Wraith Shroud


    The monsters that appeared after the Break had one thing in common: they were all lethal. From the lowest stone rollers to the smaller rabid claws, monsters reacted to the presence of humans with violence.


    Wraiths were a particular danger to parties thanks to their ability to phase in and out of physical reality. When they phased out, any and all physical attacks would move through their bodies without leaving any trace of damage.


    Of course, they were still vulnerable to magic and arcane attacks. The kind that scholars specialize in.


    Jinyoung busied himself with taking stock of the area. Some of Hana¡¯s skills like her [Shield Bash] would be helpful. And while he hadn¡¯t seen Seunghyo in action, pathfinders had one or two arcane-type skills which would come in handy.


    Of course, that was when considering a regular wraith. A SIN wraith would certainly prove more difficult.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll need to draw it out. If it¡¯s as fast as Seunghyo says, then I should be the one to open the gate lock and-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Hana¡¯s voice was low, almost a whisper. But her tone left no space for argument and her decision was firm.


    ¡°There is no way we¡¯re taking this thing on.¡±

 Crossing Lines (14)

    There have been many sweet songs of victory sung since the Break. But for each tale of heroic deeds, there were hundreds of whispers of adventures gone wrong.


    It was a hard lesson to learn, but one that every student of the Academy had to experience sooner or later.


    The depths of depression that overtook his wife were hard to put into words. It was more than just grief, it was a wave of guilt that weighed her down. Seunghyo watched as Hana sat quietly, without a single word.


    "Hana, you have to eat."


    There was no response and no hint that one would be forthcoming. But still he waited. Hoping that he would find a way to pierce the veil.


    "How long has she been like this?" Youngho asked.


    Seunghyo hesitated. Partly out of shame that he had not been able to bring her back, but mostly because he was ashamed for waiting this long to contact Hana''s father.


    "Ten days. Ever since..." his voice trailed off. "I''m sorry, sir. I should''ve contacted you sooner."


    A support party had been rounding the quest grounds. By some stroke of luck, they had found Hana, still fresh with injuries. It had taken two medics to stabilize her and another three days before she regained consciousness. Seunghyo had been in the field when he received news. By the time he returned, word had spread of the massacre that had occurred. Along with its lone survivor.


    Youngho nodded sadly.


    "She''s been through so much. First her parents, then her brother. Now this."


    Seunghyo had almost forgotten about her brother. She rarely spoke of him, almost as if she were afraid to talk about him. He''d been gone for years, but now and then he could see that she still carried within her a spark. The fragile light of hope that she might find him again.


    That had been then.


    Now, it was hard to see any light in Hana. It was as if she''d hidden herself from the world.


    "Sir, I have a favor to ask," Seunghyo''s voice cracked. "I... there''s been a marker placed on Hana."


    The old man''s eyebrows raised. "Oh?"


    The Society had delivered the message earlier in the week. Several families had lodged complaints along with an official corporate request for investigation. Even in the best of cases, Hana would be charged and jailed until trial and then sentencing.


    "A farce if I''ve ever seen one," her father growled. "Everyone knows happened out on the field."


    "That''s true," Seunghyo said quietly.


    But in the silence that followed, they quietly admitted to themselves that it wouldn''t matter. Any investigation with a corporate influence was decided before it began. Justice had nothing to do with it.


    "There''s something else, sir."


    Seunghyo retrieved a letter and handed it to his father-in-law who read it quietly. When he was done, Youngho lifted his eyes and took stock of his son-in-law.


    "You''re already accepted the offer, haven''t you?"


    ***


    "There''s no question that it''s dangerous, but it''s a hidden quest, Hana. You know I need this."


    But Jinyoung''s words were falling on deaf ears and he knew it. Some part of him knew that the risk was too much and the ask too great, but he wanted this.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation."The Seorak Outbreak showed just what we''re capable of and if we just-"


    "Jinyoung."


    Hana''s expression was hard. The voice may be different, but she''d heard this argument before. The reason why a party should push just a little further. Fight just a little harder. The odds may favor their opponent, but there was a way. There had to be.


    But Hana knew from personal experience, that strength of will might be enough to break a stalemate, but it wasn''t enough to make up for a large difference in power.


    "Jinyoung, the last time we faced off against something like this, there were nearly ten of us," Hana said. "That included one Guildmaster and a full-squad of ranged scholars."


    "Only because we didn''t know what we were up against," he pleaded. "Not to mention, we all made it out of there in the end didn''t we-"


    "No," Hana interrupted. "We didn''t."


    The onion knight''s eyes narrowed until he realized what she was talking about. He''d spotted everyone including the Guildmaster Muho after the battle, but there was one missing.


    "The squire."


    Hana nodded. "There are consequences for our actions, oppa."


    Willow and Seunghyo stood silently listening to the siblings'' conversation from a distance. Seunghyo had only traveled with them for a short distance, but even he could feel the tension between the two. His instincts told him to wait and let Hana handle the situation. In his heart and his head, he knew this to be the right decision. And if circumstances were otherwise, he would listen to either, or both.


    "I say we put it to a vote," Seunghyo called out, breaking the icy silence. "There''s four of us and we each get one vote. Fair?"


    Hana clenched her fists and cursed under her breath while Willow silently walked up beside her.


    "All in favor?" the pathfinder asked.


    Two hands raised, Seunghyo and Jinyoung. It didn''t bear continuing to know where Willow''s vote went.


    "That''s a split vote," Hana said.


    Seunghyo sighed. He considered his options, but aside from outright lying, there was nothing more he could do. And the truth felt too bitter to tell her. Not after all this time.


    Hana watched her ex-husband closely, looking for any sign of emotion. But he betrayed none and simply nodded in agreement.


    Three pairs of feet turned from the gate-lock.


    "Jinyoung?"


    While Hana had been watching Seunghyo closely, Willow had kept a close eye on him.


    Hana scoffed. "The decision''s been made, brother."


    "I make my own decisions, Hana," Jinyoung spat out. "I need to do this."


    Hana felt her throat go tight and voice go cold.


    "Jinyoung, fall in."


    She watched as her brother turned to her. For a moment, she felt like time had folded and she was back in the underground subway station with Seah, Cyrus and Johann. She held her breath and hoped that logic would win out and Jinyoung would see reason. She hoped.


    Her brother closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them, the hard look in his eyes reflected his purpose.


    "No."

 Crossing Lines (15)

    It was obvious that Jinyoung''s mind was set and there was little that Hana could say to dissuade him.


    Wraiths were known for being lethal creatures and they were aptly named. The things were vaguely human, but only just. Petrified skin wrapped around bony limbs with hands and feet that ended with claws. A thin shroud covered their bodies masking a seemingly emaciated body, drawn thin by years of starvation. But the truth was these things fed on death and could survive for years in solitude.


    There were more than a few tales of adventurers stumbling on them in dungeons only to be slaughtered on the spot.


    "It''s too dangerous," Hana cautioned. "We don''t know what this thing is capable of."


    Willow nodded in agreement. Wraiths were mid-tier monsters, usually found in deeper dungeons. Certainly not the kind of monster a recent graduate expected to face this early in their career. Her class had studied them at the Academy, mostly as a warning to younger players looking to make a name for themselves. These things didn''t just kill you, they sucked the life out of you.


    Willow shuddered at the memory. Her instruction included pictures.


    "I''m not expecting you all to stay," Jinyoung said. "But I''m doing this."


    Seunghyo kept his face steady. He had hoped the party would choose to fight the wraith, but not like this. He quietly studied the mixture of emotions Hana was trying to hide from her countenance. First anger, then fear, then concern. He wanted with all his heart to interrupt and shut Jinyoung down. Under any other circumstances, he would agree with Hana and, if necessary, drag her brother from the premises to shelter.


    But he couldn''t. Surviving the night wasn''t impossible, but it would be difficult without a fire to avoid attracting the hordes outside. More than that... he had his orders. He needed to kill the wraith. And he needed their help to do it.


    Hana thought of pleading; maybe even begging. But she knew it would fall on deaf ears. Her brother had always been a singularly stubborn individual. As a child she thought he was steadfast, but now she saw him in a different light. He was headfast and foolhardy.


    Hana set her face and spoke with a grim tone.


    "If it were just you, I could understand. But you''re putting my life and Willow''s life at risk, too. Not to mention Seunghyo-"


    "I''ll stay with him."


    Hana turned to her former paramour with a look on her face that was shock and anger all at once.


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    Seunghyo held up his hands.


    "His mind''s set, Hana. A blind man could see that," he said. "We can either help him or leave him here to deal with it alone."


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Seunghyo. We¡¯ve run into one of these things before and it damn near killed him and two others.¡±


    Hana kept her eyes on her brother. As if she could make him take back his foolishness.


    ¡°I know. But we have to face this thing. Sin or no.¡±


    Everyone grew silent at Seunghyo¡¯s statement, like a spell had been cast.


    Seunghyo watched Hana¡¯s face closely, looking for some hint as to what she was feeling.


    Sunbae, did he just-


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. Seunghyo could hear that something was different in her voice. It was shaky. Unsure.


    ¡°Hana-¡± Jinyoung started to speak, but Hana cut him off.


    ¡°If we do this, we do this my way.¡±


    The way Hana said left no room for other opinions or thoughts so everyone simply nodded.


    Hana shook the stars from her mind and focused on the task at hand.


    The gate-lock was huge, big enough to fit two pickup trucks side by side. And the staging area was wide and open with little cover.


    ¡°How was the terrain outside?¡± she asked suddenly.


    Willow took a second to compose herself before answering.


    ¡°The ground outside is frozen solid, but there¡¯s rubble and boulders to give cover. It should neutralize anything that moves quickly as long as we can corner quickly enough.¡±


    Pathfinders were an advanced archer class focusing on ranged support rather than close quarters combat. They excelled at tracking targets and stunning enemies at range.


    ¡°Willow, post up by the steps. Jinyoung and I will bait it in the staging area before drawing it outside. Once we¡¯re outside, we need to keep this thing on the ground. The second it tries to fly, I want you to knock it out of the sky, Seunghyo.¡±


    ¡°I should post up by the stairs so I can [mark] it as soon as it pops out,¡± Seunghyo offered.


    ¡°No,¡± Hana shook her head. ¡°Wait outside, but make sure you have a clear view of the exit. We¡¯ll bring it to you.¡±


    Reluctantly, Seunghyo agreed.


    ¡°Then take up your positions.¡±


    ***


    The two siblings stood in front of the gate-lock. Taking the moment to prepare themselves.


    Hana, until the Seorak Outbreak¡­ until we faced the boss, you said-


    I said I¡¯d never heard of the ¡®sin¡¯ attribute before.


    Hana winced at the memory. More so at the idea that they were willingly facing another monster with the same attribute.


    Yeah. What about anyone else?


    For a moment, Hana was silent. Still angry at being forced into this encounter.


    No. Whatever it was, it wasn¡¯t something that Guildmaster Muho or even the Forgemaster had heard of.


    She knew what was coming next. It was a question she had been asking herself over and over ever since Seunghyo interrupted their argument earlier.


    Then how did Seunghyo know the monster was a ¡®sin¡¯ monster?

 Crossing Lines (16)

    When Seunghyo graduated from Academy, he wasn''t like Hana. He was never the top of the class nor did anyone expect much out of him. Some players had natural talents for the arcane or battle. Seunghyo spent four years at the Academy looking for some sign of what that might be. Four years reading through books in the library, training with weapons, and studying strategy. Occasionally, he thought back to what he was like in his youth and he could almost laugh at how impossibly untalented he was.


    Seunghyo only had one thing going for him: he never gave up.


    After interviewing with multiple clans, he eventually chose the sharpshooter class simply because there was a shortage. It was the quickest way to find employment by clans or freelancing for the Society. And for good reason, a newbie sharpshooter had access to [Explosive Shot], [Critical Eye], and [Huntsman]. At level 20, even the most amateur player could take down most monster mobs solo.


    His first years, he took on openings in quests offered at the Society quest board. And in his free time, he took on support jobs with Hana and her clan.


    For years, it was grueling work. While most players waited weeks between assignments, Seunghyo would often move from quest to quest.


    By the time he was twenty-nine, he had made it through the Sharpshooter, Hunter, and Ranger classes before landing the Pathfinder class. Rather than focus on lethality, Seunghyo focused on skills that could round out a team. [Hunter''s Mark] allowed him to [mark] a monster so that it was more visible to any other players in the area with a fluorescent glow. [Swift] allowed him to move quickly and [Shock Bolt] allowed him to stun monsters with an electric arrow.


    From his vantage point, Seunghyo could see barely Willow waiting by the stairs leading down into the staging area. Since he couldn''t see Hana or Jinyoung,he was relying on Willow to signal him when the gate-lock was open.


    You there?


    Seunghyo cursed softly under his breath.


    I thought I said I wanted radio silence.


    You did.


    The deadpan tone made Seunghyo''s blood boil. He thought of the many things he''d do to Henry when he was finally done with all this and slowly let his breath out.


    They go for it?


    Yes.


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    Good.


    He could imagine Henry''s grin. A shit-eating grin if there ever was one. And Seunghyo imagined himself punching his clan leader in the face for the thousandth time.


    What do they know?


    They know that I was sent in with another party to investigate.


    So they don''t know about the rest of us?


    I told them the rest of my party is behind the gate-lock.


    The lies had bothered Seunghyo more than he let on. Their marriage vows may have been a thing of the past, but lying to Hana made him uncomfortable. Worse still was the ease with which he could do it.


    Henry. They don''t know about the SOS message.


    That''s their problem, ''Hyo.


    She needs to know. They both do. It''s their-


    You know the rules. You start opening up and it''ll get back to corporate, I promise you.


    The threat was unmistakable. But Seunghyo had nothing else to say to the man so he kept his mouth shut.


    In the distance, he could see Willow signaling. Hana was getting ready to open the gate-lock.


    ***


    "You ready?" Hana asked.


    Jinyoung took a deep breath as he gazed at their surroundings. The sun was getting lower in the sky, sending shafts of light across the floor through the entrance and windows to the west. They had a good hour before the sunset completely and the temperature dropped too low for their Fire Stones to be of much help.


    "Let''s do it."


    The console has a dim light that blinks, the only sign that the machinery that operates this place is still operational. Jinyoung watches as she punches in the key.


    For a moment, Hana''s breath catches as nothing happens. The screen blips out and silences reigns for a few precious heartbeats.


    CREEIIKK


    The screeching is loud enough that Jinyoung has to cover his ears as the gate opens to unveil... darkness.


    Here we go.


    Hana and Jinyoung lean forward, balancing their weights on the balls of their feet as they strained their eyes against the darkness of the vault. It was certainly in there, even if they couldn¡¯t see it.


    [Scan+]


    Mon^t5r: SIN WRA)TH


    R3co&mended -evel: 37


    Health: 100%


    Attributes: SIN, U!D#AD, FR-$TBITE (immune)


    Weaknesses: *%-AN@, FIRE


    Willow, it''s weak against fire.


    For a second, Jinyoung thought he saw the flash of something. Petrified flesh and bone. It reminded Jinyoung of roadkill.


    Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Hana lift her shield. But before he could react, a frigid gale-force wind blew him off his feet and sent him tumbling across the smooth floor.


    The last thing Jinyoung remembered was a face of pale, petrified skin pulled tight over a skull.

 Crossing Lines (17)

    She feels it before she sees it. A sudden shift in the air.


    No, not the air. The wind.


    In the same situation, a scholar might start bending mana to their will while a sharpshooter would notch an arrow on her bow. Even a fighter or a knight would adopt a fighting stance. But Hana has the benefit of using her shield for defense and offense.


    It takes a split-second to raise her shield a few precious inches and leave enough space over the top to squint and peer into the shadowy gate-lock.


    Hana''s breath catches in her throat when the icy wind hits her. Her eyes burn with the chill and tears fill her eyes, but she struggles through it to keep her eyes open for what she knows comes next.


    The thing that moves at her looks like death. The tattered cloth that covers most of its body is stained with soil, blood and all manner of material Hana doesn''t even want to guess at.


    THWAK!


    She almost doesn''t have to think when she raises her shield to block the blow, but she knew to expect it. What she doesn''t expect is just how much her arm would rattle from the impact. Through the shield.


    THWANG!


    The second attack feels like she blocked a truck. So when she sees the next swing coming, she rolls instead.


    Stay back, this thing hits like a ton of bricks.


    Instead of backing away, Hana steps forward re-engaging the wraith. The last thing she wants is the monster to switch its attention and move against any of the others. If Jinyoung tried to block a blow from this thing, he was likely to lose an arm.


    [Shield bash].


    Instead of stunning it, the wraith barely flinches. It¡¯s less than a second before it rushes forward again and Hana is back to blocking swings from the undead claw-hammer arm.


    Just for a moment, she thinks of Jinyoung¡¯s decision that led her to this moment. Not just that, but her brother¡¯s juvenile recklessness is all too familiar to her.


    THWAK!


    The next strike hits her shield so hard that she feels the vibration in her ribs, stunning her for a second. Hana watches with wide open eyes as the wraith draws it¡¯s long clawed hand back and swings it up, cutting grooves in the concrete floor.


    Got you, you sonofabitch.


    Instead of blocking, Hana moves sideways, pulling her weight and letting the claw sail harmlessly past her. But more importantly, the monster is pulled off-balance and left completely open.


    ¡°My turn.¡±


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    Hana swings her sword hard, cutting a wide swath at its open torso. But when the sword finally hits home, instead of feeling any resistance, Hana feels her sword just fly through its body as if it weren¡¯t made of solid matter.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ***


    It feels like it¡¯s been ages since he was warm and there¡¯s nothing he would like more than to stay in this warm bed. Everything tells him he should stay a while longer in this warm haven.


    ¡°...up.¡±


    With the exception of the voice. The shrill voice that wants him to be cold again.


    ¡°Wa¡­ up.¡±


    He tries to wave the voice away, but it follows him. Shaking him, almost violently.


    ¡°Wake the hell up, Jinyoung!¡±


    His eyes snap open and his entire body feels like it¡¯s been dunked into a frozen river. The last thing he remembers is shadows, a death¡¯s head, and then a sharp blinding headache. One that¡¯s returned as a dull, throbbing ache.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± he heard himself croaked out.


    ¡°It used an AOE. Something like a force push that sent you flying straight into a concrete wall. Head first,¡± Willow replied.


    Willow put her arms around him and slowly helped him to his feet.


    His voice felt a bit stronger now. ¡°Where are we at now?¡±


    ¡°Hana¡¯s fighting it off, but she¡¯s not having much luck,¡± Willow said. ¡°I thought I should help you up first before I jumped in to help.¡±


    Jinyoung nodded gratefully. ¡°Good. You made the right decision.¡±


    Feeling stronger, Jinyoung took stock of his surroundings. Willow had dragged him away from the concrete wall he had rag-dolled into and brought him outside into the cold, presumably so that the wraith wouldn¡¯t target him when he was so helplessly unconscious.


    "Where''s Seunghyo, Willow?"


    "He was just-"


    Willow is surprised to see that their new party member is nowhere to be seen. Before moving in to retrieve Jinyoung, she had sent panicked signals his way, hoping he would come in and support Hana. But from where they stood, Seunghyo was neither in his previous position outside or inside helping Hana.


    Sunbae, what should we do?


    There was no response.


    Jinyoung shakes his head. "We''re too far away. It''s just like the dragon from Seorak. The clan chat didn''t work properly then, either.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    From his vantage point, he could see things weren¡¯t going well for his sister. The monster wasn¡¯t just fast, it was strong and struck wildly. Hana blocked one blow after another until the monster committed to a wild swing and Hana dodged. It wasn¡¯t a great opening, but it should¡¯ve been enough for a counter-strike.


    But instead of striking back, Hana simply raised her shield and waited for the next attack.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she counter?¡± he asked aloud.


    Willow shook her head. ¡°Every time she tries to hit it, her sword just passes right through.¡±


    As if to make her point, Hana dodged another blow but this time followed up with a running slash.


    Jinyoung could see that Hana made a point of running straight through with her slash instead of pausing and keeping a close distance.


    Willow had seen enough. It was obvious that she wasn¡¯t making any headway against the monster and if this kept up, her sunbae would be dead.


    ¡°You move in and I¡¯ll cover you-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jinyoung interjected. ¡°Wait.¡±


    After running through, Hana turned around and without waiting a beat moved back into to re-engage the wraith. From there, the cycle started again. The monster struck at Hana with Hana blocking some blows and dodging others. Her counter attacks passed straight through the monster and had no effect. But Hana took every instance to move in and keep the monster¡¯s attention on her.


    Jinyoung''s voice was grim.


    ¡°She¡¯s kiting.¡±

 Crossing Lines (18)

    The Academy had few requirements for students to gain entry.


    First, all students had to be at least 12 years of age. Most students at the Academy were in their early teens, but there were a few outliers who entered in their mid to late twenties.


    Second, all students were required to take in-class lessons in order to qualify for field-training. This wasn''t just to encourage discipline, but also so that students were well-trained and disciplined in practical theory and strategy before ever getting close to monsters.


    And finally, no one with a Class was allowed to enter the Academy as a student. At most, they could become instructors or lecturers. The reason was simple: most players with classes focused their efforts on training their strengths and skills rather than learning the lessons the Academy had to offer.


    As such, early field-training consisted of multiple students with no skills or strengths along with one or two instructors. Instructors would act as party lead and take small groups of students into dungeons. There, the instructor would engage monsters on their own. This gave students the chance to observe battles and monster behavior without having the strain of engaging directly in combat.


    The practical reason was that a party of first-time students was less likely to kill a monster and more likely to accidentally step in front of another''s arrow or swing an ax too wide and lop off a classmate''s head. Instead, students were encouraged to watch from the sidelines before engaging in the battle. It was the students'' jobs to figure out the quickest and safest way to dispatch the monster. It was the instructor''s job to keep the monster''s attention fixed on themself.


    It was a strategy known as ¡°kiting¡±.


    Being that Willow was less than a year out from the Academy, she was disappointed in herself for not recognizing what Hana was up to.


    "What do we do?" she asked.


    A quick glance around told her that Seunghyo had made himself scarce. He had either decided to retreat on his own or, more likely, had recognized Hana''s strategy and decided to move into a new position to observe the battle.


    "We watch," Jinyoung replied. "Monsters come in different shapes, sizes and forms. But they all have weaknesses."


    "Like fire," Willow said.


    Jinyoung nodded. "Exactly, but that won''t be enough. You don¡¯t know any high-level spells, I don¡¯t have any elemental skills, and Seunghyo doesn¡¯t have anything in his quiver to take this thing down with.."


    "How do you know that?"


    For a moment, Jinyoung took his eyes off his sister and surveyed the staging grounds. The large domed glass above them was dark, but there was plenty of light coming in from a large open doorway to the west. A few minor portholes let in sunlight that was slowly making a path across the smooth concrete floor.


    Nowhere for a pathfinder to hide.


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    "Because if he could, he would''ve by now."


    Jinyoung [scanned] the wraith again. The System fed him information about each attack, giving him a small hint as to when each wild swing was coming. But besides the initial profile, there was no hint of any weaknesses.


    Meanwhile, the wraith wasn''t slowing down or showing any signs of tiring. It swung wicked claws at Hana that she was forced to block or dodge. And judging by the way she was dodging more, Jinyoung guessed that even with a solid metal shield, those attacks were causing damage.


    Just like the dragon in the mountain, this thing moved with a purpose. When Hana moved, it mirrored her motions. She stepped left and the thing would follow. Hana had countered uselessly with her sword enough that the thing didn''t fear it anymore. The only times it stepped back was when Hana used [shield bash], thus far the only skill in Hana''s repertoire that even affected it.


    Then, it happened. Maybe Hana was tired or maybe she had rushed her movement, but she rolled sideways in front of the opening to the west and slid instead of stopping solid. Instinctively, she waved her arms to catch her balance and realized her mistake too late.


    The bright light of the setting sun behind her outlined her in white and everyone held their breath, waiting for the blow that was surely coming. But it didn''t. Instead, the wraith drew in its arms as if it were taking a breath and then let out a piercing scream.


    SHRRRAAAYYKKK!


    The cold wind hit the unprepared shield knight and blew her out through the western exit into the frigid tundra outside.


    Without anything to stop her, the force of the attack sent her barreling across the flat frozen wasteland until she felt herself crash into something hard and soft at the same time.


    She looked up to see Seunghyo smirking down at her.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d end up back in my arms in the sun.¡±


    Even in the blistering cold, she felt her face flush before she had the sense of mind to push him away.


    ¡°Where is it?!¡±


    She raised her shield and looked up at the sky, expecting the damned thing to strike down at her. But nothing came.


    ¡°It¡¯s still inside,¡± Seunghyo said.


    Hana¡¯s face was a picture of confusion. It would¡¯ve been easy to follow-up the pushback attack with one or two wicked swipes that could¡¯ve easily cut Hana into ribbons.


    But Seunghyo was right. She could see the wraith inside the staging area. Standing just beyond the sunlight, waiting for its dance partner to return.


    Sunbae, are you okay?


    She ignored Willow and thought back to what had just happened. At no point did the monster show any mercy or pull any of its attacks. Her shield was scuffed and scratched enough to show that many of the strikes would have been all-too-lethal had they landed.


    Not to mention, its AOE attack didn¡¯t directly deal any damage. It expelled a powerful force that had tossed a fully armored shield knight 15 feet, but that was all. That left two questions.


    Why didn¡¯t it land a killing blow when Hana had left herself open?


    Why didn¡¯t it follow her outside?


    Seunghyo kept his eyes on the wraith. ¡°I¡¯ll go back in with you. Maybe if we create enough openings, your protege can hit it with some spells and weaken it.¡±


    Hana shook her head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the spells or the skills to take it down.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Seunghyo said. ¡°The sun¡¯ll go down in a few minutes and we won¡¯t survive more than a few minutes out here when the temperature dips another 50 degrees.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t head in until we know how we¡¯re going to beat it, Seunghyo.¡±


    Seunghyo grit his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re not listening, Hana. We don¡¯t have much light left out here and-¡±


    The realization hit her like a thunderbolt. All this time, Hana had been trying to ignore Seunghyo and focus on the situation at hand. And all this time, he¡¯d been saying the answer over and over again.


    The sun.

 Crossing Lines (19)

    Until today, Cyrus had assumed that he was the only one in direct contact with his grandfather. Of course, there were servants with bowed heads who avoided his gaze and an army of very nervous assistants. But they, in his grandfather''s own words, "didn''t count".


    The old man was like that.


    So his surprise when he and Seah were both summoned for a meeting was immediate and obvious. He had assumed, incorrectly, that any communication between his wife and his grandfather was happening through indirect means.


    At first, he was relieved. Cyrus thought he might feel more at ease in the grim, dark office with his wife by his side. But seeing how comfortably she moved in this space put him off. If anything, it made him feel more alone.


    "What word do we have from the north, children?"


    Cyrus'' breath caught in his throat and he coughed.


    "Sir," Seah began. "We have word that Hana''s team has made contact with Seunghyo and is closing in on the barony''s capital city. Unfortunately, they seem to have encountered an enemy and are currently unable to make progress."


    The old man''s head bobbed up and down. "Good, good."


    Cyrus cleared his throat.


    "We have a strike team ready to move in and offer them backup. They''re stationed in the city, but we should be able to get up there in one day''s time and-"


    "What of Cha Bell Corporation?" his grandfather asked. "Has there been any movement on their end?"


    "They have men stationed on the edge of the borderlands," Seah answered. "They are careful not to cross over and they''re avoiding any of the horde monsters we''ve observed from a distance."


    His grandfather smiled, a wide toothy grin and once again bobbed his head up and down.


    Cyrus stood silently.


    "Cyrus, you will lead a full contingent to the borderlands and make camp three miles west of the Cha Bell Corp''s men," Grisham said, breaking the silence. "You are to hold there until further notice."


    "We don''t need that many men, grandfather. And we need to send in a party to give Jinyoung and his sister back up."


    But his grandfather''s attention had already been spent and his eyes were looking over papers on his desk. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he motioned that this meeting was over and it was time for them to leave.


    Cyrus stepped forward to speak, but Seah''s soft hand caught him by the shoulder.


    She bowed deeply and turned to leave, taking Cyrus with her.


    It wasn''t until they were back on the ground level, stories above Grisham''s office that Seah spoke.


    "Your grandfather''s just trying to look out for you, Cyrus."


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    "He only ever looks out for himself. I can see why he likes you."


    Cyrus looked away and expected to hear her laugh. But when he looked back her face showed no such nothing. In fact, there was no emotion.


    "I... I''m sorry, Seah."


    Seah gave the slightest, most imperceptible shadow of a nod before walking away from him.


    ***


    Seunghyo pinched his brow. This was a mistake, but there was nothing he could do. His former wife had picked up on something she thought was a clue and honed in on it completely. He knew from experience that there was no talking her out of it either.


    ¡°We have maybe ten, fifteen minutes before the sunsets completely and we lose our opening, Seunghyo.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just one problem, hon. Wraiths aren¡¯t weak against sunlight.¡±


    Hana flinched. She thought about saying something, but crushed the thought in her mind.


    ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡±


    Seunghyo had missed their banter. There were more than a few occasions that they had worked together with the overall experience being mixed. But their party members had always walked away with memorable stories, if he remembered correctly.


    Like watching a couple arguing on their honeymoon, except you¡¯re in a cave being chased by man-eating spiders was how one hunter had described the experience.


    On the other side of the structure, Jinyoung flexed his muscles in anticipation. He reached under his thermal jacket and put a hand on the Fire Stone keeping him warm.


    ¡°They¡¯re filled with mana.¡±


    Jinyoung looked up at Willow. ¡°You mean like¡­ people¡¯s mana?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°The raw materials for the stones are mined in dungeons. Once they¡¯re refined, scholars and mages imbue them with mana by casting [ember] on them. What you¡¯re feeling is the remnants of a spell that was cast years ago being held inside the stone.¡±


    ¡°You know an awful lot about Fire Stones, Willow.¡±


    ¡°My grandparents used to mine them. My mother used to help refine them and get them ready for scholars. She used to tell me stories. You charge an empty Stone with fire, you get a Fire Stone. The same goes for any other arcane element is what she told me.¡±


    The question formed on Jinyoung lips and was out of his mouth without a thought.


    ¡°What about your father?¡±


    It was an innocent enough question. But the look on Willow¡¯s face told Jinyoung that the answer wasn¡¯t a simple one.


    Will0w, c-n y&u read me?


    Bar3ly, sunb@e.


    That¡¯ll have t0 do. We¡¯re go!ng to mak3 o#r move.


    ***


    Henry sat quietly. The halls of the underground research laboratory were built to very precise specifications along with the facility itself. That meant every desk was placed purposefully, every wall was built and measured to be exactly so along with each detail in the area. That meant none of the doors squeaked, none of the floors creaked, and none of the faucets dripped. It was absolutely quiet.


    With the exception of the battle going on outside.


    You out there, Hyo?


    There was no response.


    Henry smiled. He had to admire his colleague¡¯s bravery. For all the years they had worked together, Henry had seen how much he had changed. In the early days, Seunghyo had been such a moral young man. Unable to do the dirty work and unwilling to step into the gray.


    On the other hand, Henry had lived in the gray. He had seen that the world was an immoral place and the only sensible way to live in it was as an immoral man. Or woman. He didn¡¯t discern either way.


    His ears pricked.


    To call the sound coming through the gate muffled was an insult to whispers. But Henry¡¯s enhanced senses allowed him to pick up on the sounds and even the slightest whiff of scents coming through the door.


    He could hear the growing panic in Hana¡¯s footwork. He could feel the frenzied movement of the wraith through vibrations in the floor. But more than anything, he could smell the fear in the air.


    Well, I¡¯ll be in here, Hyo, he said. Just waiting.

 Crossing Lines (20)

    While their preferred loadout may be different, every fighter and rogue trains with a weapon and shield. Either before they¡¯ve chosen a class specialty or before.


    Then, depending on their own preferences, they choose to enter battle with two weapons, one weapon and one shield, or with one weapon and a freehand.


    Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Jinyoung preferred using a hand-and-a-half sword which could be wielded with one hand or two. Ever since his first year at the Academy, he had championed its use, often saying that anyone who bore a shield simply needed more practice with a second sword.


    He was eating those words.


    The wraith was immeasurably strong. Too strong to block with his sword, although he suspected that a shield wouldn¡¯t help much. Thanks to his time in the Black Shrine dungeon, he¡¯d gotten somewhat used to parrying.


    WHANG!!


    But even parried, the force of the wraith¡¯s attack knocked him back four feet and he had to [dash] to avoid being crushed by the monster¡¯s follow-up attack.


    C@-eful, -in-ung.


    The clan chat was barely discernible, but it wouldn¡¯t have mattered. The wraith was too fast and too strong for Jinyoung to focus on anything else.


    Hana had given him one job: find a way to give Willow an opening.


    The monster¡¯s wild swings were nearly impossible to see coming. Nearly. Having [scan+] gave Jinyoung a split second to react and move.


    The monster was fast, but it wasn¡¯t faster than the System.


    Wai1 4or -t. Ta!- your t^me.


    Finally, he saw it. The monster swung a wide swath with its left arm but had cocked its right behind it. Palm up. A second later, the System told him the next strike was coming exactly as he had predicted.


    WHAM!!!


    The wraith slammed its arm down like you might swat at an insect. It¡¯s weight shifted forward behind the blow but at the last second, Jinyoung was already gone.


    ¡°Willow, now!¡±


    From the corner of his eye, he saw the bright red flash followed by the shining arc of energy as Willow¡¯s [arcane shot] flew past him.


    For a moment, the wraith hesitated. Torn between continuing to beat down on Jinyoung or moving towards Willow.


    And that moment was all Hana needed to reflect the setting¡¯s sun¡¯s light from the western exit to the wraith''s face.


    SCRYAAAHH!


    The reaction was immediate. The thing started shrieking with smoke billowing out from where sunlight struck it. Behind the smoke, Jinyoung spotted brief pops of sparks.


    ¡°Now!¡± Hana shouted.


    Seunghyo placed one perfect [charged bolt] at center mass pushing the wraith into the light of the opening completely.


    The entire monster was engulfed in smoke in a second with sparks and small fires erupting all over it.


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    It tried to claw at the ground, attempting to pull itself out of the light but Hana was there. A well-time [shield bash] pushed it back into the light completely.


    The piercing shrill screaming got louder and just for a moment, everyone forgot where they were at and instinctively moved to cover their ears.


    Chunk!


    A clawed hand dug into the floor and the monstrous smoking, flaming heap that was the wraith dragged itself out of the thinning beam of sunlight.


    The undead thing wasn¡¯t alive in the same way humans are, but its lungs could only scream so long before there was no more strength to continue.


    [Charge+].


    Jinyoung moved in with his [dash]. He swung hard at the wraith¡¯s body and instead of the feeling of a clean cut, it was a hammer blow that caught the monster in the ribs, knocking it backwards into the wall and putting some distance between it and the rest of the party.


    Seunghyo took a breath. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time!¡±


    He was right. The sun was setting quickly with only streams of light breaking through the horizon.


    Jinyoung, you start this one.


    The temperature was dropping, but Jinyoung could still feel the sweat dripping from his face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance, you ugly bastard.¡±


    Instead of dashing in, Jinyoung activated his [charge] and took two steps.


    The wraith swung at him and, instead of blocking or dodging, Jinyoung thrust his sword forward. The point of his sword made contact and the impact threw the damned thing backwards, slamming it against the wall.


    Immediately, an [arcane shot] flew in, striking the wraith in the body followed up by a [charged shot] to push it sideways back into the sun.


    The monster didn¡¯t have time to screech before Hana was on it, hitting it with a [shield bash], trying to push it outside into the fading sunlight and away from any shadows it could hide in.


    The thin beams of sunlight cut into the monster and it let out a pitiful squeal.


    Seunghyo took careful aim and let off two more bolts, hitting the monster and stunning it for a few precious moments. Hana¡¯s plan was working. The sunlight along with Willow¡¯s spells and his own [charged bolts] was enough to stun-lock the wraith.


    He reached back into his quiver and felt empty air.


    ¡°I¡¯m out!¡±


    Jinyoung and Hana were too busy taking turns striking the monster and knocking it back and forth. The wraith¡¯s body was pushed out the door, but it had dug its claws into the wide frame of the exit and braced its body against the steps leading outside.


    ¡°Willow!¡± Hana shouted. ¡°Give it everything you¡¯ve got!¡±


    Willow closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. She focused on her mana and drove it through her veins into her palms, readying an [arcane shot]. But instead of casting it, she held the mana there and poured in as much as she possibly could.


    Meanwhile, Jinyoung could feel his arms going numb. He¡¯d hit it with so many [charged] attacks his hands were freely bleeding. A cursory glance at his sister and he knew her hands were the same. This was the home stretch, either they would end it or¡­


    ¡°Take cover!¡± Seunghyo yelled.


    Jinyoung looked back to see a terrifying sight. Willow¡¯s skin had paled, but her entire body was covered in a hideous red glow as mana burned into the visible spectrum. It took mana to charge a spell, but it also took mana to protect the caster against the effects of the spell while they were charging it.


    Willow''s mouth was moving. Jinyoung couldn¡¯t hear her, but he could guess what she said.


    [Arcane bolt].


    The blast was deafening.


    Willow¡¯s spell hit the wraith in the chest and the explosion knocked Hana and Jinyoung back. The shock wave blew out of the ceiling and shattered the glass dome of the staging area.


    For a moment, it was impossible to see what was left of the wraith. The rubble from the ceiling had kicked up months of dust and the cloud was too thick to see through.


    ¡°Did we get it?¡± Willow asked.


    A shiver runs up Hana¡¯s spine as she moves to answer her. ¡°I don¡¯t-¡±


    FWOOM.


    The frozen blast of air hit Hana before she could finish her sentence and threw her back ten feet.


    Instinctively Jinyoung [dashed] forward and found himself standing upright in the same point he had started.


    Sh!t.


    The smoke slowly cleared revealing the wraith. Damaged, perhaps severely, but very much alive. From his position, he could see that the skin had the same texture as the dragon. It looked like it was slithering, perhaps even oily. Like it was alive.


    But worse still was the sight behind it.


    The sun had set.


    They had lost their only advantage.

 Crossing Lines (21)

    There was a year.


    It was just before Jinyoung entered the Academy when his home life had finally normalized. Their adoptive father was starting to spend more time at home and Hana could finally sleep through an entire night.


    Jinyoung used to watch his adoptive sister toss about restlessly at night, waiting for the inevitable moment when she awoke in terror. He made sure to be there to comfort her. But ever since their adoptive father started making an effort to be home most nights, she was having an easier time sleeping.


    Jinyoung was not.


    A curfew had been enacted not long after the break to keep children out of harm¡¯s way at night. Safe zones had been erected and players worked overtime to clear dungeons around these regions. But, as always, sometimes there were worse things than monsters in the dark.


    Jinyoung was small for his age. Other thirteen year olds in the neighborhood stood a full-head taller than him. Something that got him teased. Enough so that he had taken to doing push-ups at night on the rooftop of the dilapidated apartment building they all called home.


    ¡°What are you doing out?¡±


    Jinyoung whirled around to see Youngho. The older man was still wearing his leather armor from battle. He had taken efforts to return from assignments each night to have dinner with the children. Of course, some nights, like this one, he was late.


    ¡°Training,¡± the boy replied.


    Youngho nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    A quiet breeze drifted between them while Jinyoung held his breath.


    ¡°Well, then,¡± Youngho said finally. ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to it-¡±


    ¡°I want to join the Academy¡­ sir.¡± Jinyoung hesitated. He¡¯d practiced this in his mind for days, but not like this. He needed his guardian¡¯s permission to join the Academy and there could be no exceptions for minors.


    Youngho regarded the boy thoughtfully for a moment.


    The Academy had its roots as a military training facility. But, since the Break, it had turned into a training center where people could learn about these new abilities they¡¯d unlocked.


    ¡°Jinyoung¡­ show me your hands.¡±


    Jinyoung did as he was told, revealing bruised and bloodied knuckles. Some of the teasing had escalated recently.


    Youngho nodded his head. It only made sense that the violence of the world would filter down and affect children, too.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, but you¡¯re going to need some real training if you¡¯re going to make it in the Academy,¡± he said. ¡°Put up your hands.¡±


    The boy did as he was told and Youngho raised his hands in response. He was three times as big as the boy and hulked over him. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Now hit me.¡±


    If Jinyoung was nervous, he didn¡¯t show it. Instead, he took to the task, coming in swinging. The grizzled fighter moved out of the way deftly, easily predicting each punch and moving quickly out of the way before any of Jinyoung¡¯s punches could make an impact.


    ¡°It¡¯s not working, try something different.¡±


    Jinyoung took a moment to think before raising his hands. This time, he changed his footwork, bobbing and weaving to disguise his movement and shift his patterns.


    By the time they were done, Jinyoung could barely lift his arms anymore and he was breathing in shallow, ragged breaths.


    ¡°What¡¯d you learn today?¡±


    ¡°I learned that you don¡¯t mind toying with someone half your age and a third your size, old man.¡±


    Younho chuckled. ¡°What else?¡±


    Jinyoung closed his eyes and thought back over the past ten minutes. ¡°You¡¯re bigger than me, but you¡¯re also faster than me. You dodged every punch I threw, but I was getting closer at the end.¡±


    The fighter nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. You were changing your patterns so I had a harder time predicting your punches.¡±


    ¡°But you still dodged them,¡± Jinyoung retorted.


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Youngho watched Jinyoung carefully. The boy was trying to work through the problem and figure out what he was doing wrong. But he was also trying to figure out what he was doing right. He turned again to leave when Jinyoung spoke up again.


    ¡°Can¡­ Can we try that again?¡±


    ***


    [Scan+]


    Monster: SIN WRA)TH


    Recommended Level: 37


    Health: 100%


    Attributes: SIN (active), UNDEAD, FROSTBITE (immune)


    Weaknesses: ARCANE, FIRE


    A very cold chill ran down Jinyoung¡¯s spine.


    The [arcane shot] shot past Jinyoung and buried itself in the body of the wraith, center mass. A perfect shot.


    Willow took a deep, cold breath. ¡°Move!¡±


    The wraith was only stunned for a few seconds. Precious seconds that Seunghyo used to rush in and pull Hana upright while Jinyoung backed away and took up a position closer to his comrades.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan now, Hana?¡± Seunghyo asked.


    But Hana¡¯s mouth had run dry. Their only advantage was gone and they were back to square one.


    No, it was worse than that. Seunghyo was out of arrows, Willow¡¯s mana was depleted, and Hana was exhausted. Kiting wasn¡¯t a possibility anymore and even if it was, they needed to buy time for something. There was no way they would last the 10 bours until it was day again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Catch!¡± Jinyoung shouted.


    Hana looked upto see a Fire Stone spinning through the air towards her.


    Jinyoung [dashed] in to engage the wraith. Seunghyo didn¡¯t have any skills for close-quarters combat and Willow wouldn¡¯t last 10 seconds under these conditions. That only left him.


    Close up, Jinyoung could see that the wraith was standing straighter and it¡¯s body looked more imposing. Whatever ¡®sin¡¯ was, it had made the thing stronger and more dangerous.


    [Charge+].


    The first swing came in from above. Jinyoung dodged easily and the monster¡¯s claws pounded into the ground, throwing up chunks of rubble. He had barely come out of the [dash] when he saw the following up attack: a wide swing from left to right that Jinyoung had to [dash] backwards to avoid.


    It¡¯s moving faster, he thought. The swings weren¡¯t as wild and it didn¡¯t look like the thing was leaving itself open at all anymore. Not to mention, each attack was more powerful than the last. There was no way Hana would¡¯ve been able to block these attacks, especially considering how exhausted they all were. They needed to change their strategy.


    Without the Fire Stone buried under his layers, the cold was creeping in. He could only hope that Hana knew what to do with it.

 Crossing Lines (22)

    Mana stones aren¡¯t uncommon in dungeons. They¡¯re a byproduct of the same corruption that causes decay when dungeon portals stay open too long. The same energy that rots and corrupts the human world can crystallize into solid forms. Eventually, they hardened and turned into mana stones which were then mined.


    Willow knew from experience that mana stones in their many forms weren¡¯t inherently dangerous. Even the Fire Stone she held in her hand held little to no danger to her. It would¡¯ve taken six experienced magic-users to imbue it with enough mana and fire over the course of hours to bring it to its current state. But if it were broken, all that power and mana would simply be absorbed into the air.


    No, the danger was in what Jinyoung was suggesting.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Seunghyo repeated. ¡°Can¡¯t you just throw it?¡±


    Willow shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not a grenade. It¡¯s more like¡­ a battery. One that I can draw energy from to power my spells.¡±


    Willow shivered at the thought.


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t I heard of anyone else using it like that?¡± Hana asked.


    Willow thought of lying, but she knew better than to lie. They were in the field and withholding information from your team was tantamount to suicide out here.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s extremely dangerous,¡± Willow replied. ¡°Mana crystals are raw fonts of mana which is why mining them is so dangerous. But mana stones are more stable, that¡¯s why we refine them instead of the crystals.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re still dangerous?¡±


    Oh, yes, she thought. Especially with what I have in mind.


    ¡°Think of mana stones as cups and the mana inside them as water,¡± Willow explained. ¡°If I¡¯m running low on mana, I can, in theory, drink the mana in the cup.¡±


    Seunghyo shrugged. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound dangerous at all.¡±


    ¡°Except in this case, the water would be scorching hot fire that I¡¯m absorbing through my veins.¡±


    Willow took a deep breath. She had to be careful not to absorb too much mana otherwise she risked literally igniting her body from the inside out. But she also needed enough mana to protect her body against the fire magic, which she would be absorbing from the Fire Stone. In other words, too slow and she risked lighting her hands on fire.


    ¡°Are you sure you can do this, Willow?¡± Hana asked.


    She nodded quickly. Too quickly. ¡°Yes. Yeah. Uh¡­ I think. But we don¡¯t have any other options open to us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not wrong. I don¡¯t know how long your brother¡¯s going to last.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Seunghyo directed their attention to the fight. Jinyoung was holding his own against the wraith. He was [dashing] back and forth, doing a good job of staying within reach of the wraith but out of the way of any attacks.


    Willow took Jinyoung¡¯s Fire Stone in one hand and took her own in another. Hana took the extra step of offering her own.


    ¡°Thank you, sunbae. I don¡¯t know if two would¡¯ve been enough.¡±


    Hana tightened her grip on her shield. ¡°What about us?¡±


    Willow gripped the Fire Stone and took a deep breath.  ¡°If this works, you and Jinyoung will have an opening to deal extra damage to the wraith.¡±


    ***


    The wraith wasn¡¯t just strong and fast, although it was those things. It was ruthless and merciless.


    Attacking and defending were two sides of the same coin for monsters and players alike. The goal of any attack was to damage your foe and defending was preventing damage to yourself. But at the same time, you had to reduce the amount of damage done to your weapons and gear.


    The same applies to almost every weapon, especially so to fists and claws. But ever since the sunset, the wraith was attacking freely with abandon.


    CRUNCH!


    It brought down its claws so hard that its fingers were buried in the concrete floor. Another swipe saw it rip into the ceiling above, exposing the sky outside.


    Jinyoung [dashed] backwards, barely moving out of range of the last attack. No sooner had he regained his footing when the wraith pushed in on his position and followed up with another barrage of attacks.


    It wasn¡¯t just attacking him, it was actively re-engaging him every time he put even a little distance between them.


    It¡¯s trying to kill me. The thought made his blood run cold and blurred his focus. Just for a second. But it was enough.


    He didn¡¯t notice the rubble which was strewn across the floor including a particularly large chunk of the ceiling which had placed itself in his path. When the wraith attacked again, Jinyoung moved sideways but his feet caught on the tangle of steel rebar and concrete, spending him sprawling across the floor.


    Shit.


    The wraith was on him immediately. Claws raised, reading to send Jinyoung to the next life.


    ¡°[Ember]!¡±


    A column of fire twisted out and hit the wraith, pushing it back as it¡¯s mouth gaped open into a silent scream. It could¡¯ve been screaming, but the whoosh of hot air and the crackling of the flames was all anyone could hear.


    Suddenly, unexpectedly, the flame cut off. But before the monster had time to react, Hana was there smashing her shield into its burnt torso and pushing it back.


    Jinyoung crab walked backwards, careful to keep his sword tightly gripped in his hands. He watched as Hana cut wide with her sword and made contact (!) with the wraith. The wraith realized its newfound weakness and moved back, putting space between himself and Hana. But Seunghyo was there with a short sword, hacking into the monster like a butcher and cutting chunks of its flesh from bone.


    Before the monster could react, Hana used [shield bash] to knock the monster away.


    Then Jinyoung saw her. Or what looked to be a terrifying vision of her.


    Thanks to [scan], Jinyoung could see the mana flowing from the Fire Stone into Willow¡¯s body. It lit her up like a torch. She wasn¡¯t just using the mana to power her spellcasting, she was using the mana she drew from the stone to protect against the heat of the fire-magic which threatened to consume her entire body.


    And, just like the campfire a few weeks ago, Jinyoung watched as Willow focused this limitless stream of unstable and untamed mana into a single point before releasing a conflagration on the wraith.


    ¡°[Ember]!¡±

 Crossing Lines (23)

    Her entire body felt like it was on fire. At first, it felt like a welcome warmth. Something to drive out the chill that had been ever present since they reached the borders of the barony. But now, the heat was all-encompassing and overpowering.


    A common question posed by students at the Academy was how biology and physics played into the System. Until the Break, humans weren¡¯t able to perform feats of magic and power on the scale that Skills and Spells allowed for. Of course, there was no answer. Instructors at the academy could only answer for the effects of such powers, not their source.


    So while she had no explanation for how she could channel fire-magic, Willow knew the effects. The burns on her fingers and hands were proof enough of that.


    Willow cut off the stream of fire again, leaving the monster open for physical strikes from Seunghyo and Hana. The danger of the situation aside, Jinyoung could only be impressed by how well the divorced couple worked together.


    Seunghyo was obviously less-experienced with close-range combat, but Hana more than made up for it by creating openings he could capitalize on. For each [shield bash] or physical push-back attack, Seunghyo was there to take a swipe with his short sword. For his part, Seunghyo made sure to cut when necessary and push back when he needed to. It wasn¡¯t unlike watching Cyrus¡¯ battle with the mid-boss, but so much more impressive to see it in close quarters like this.


    On the other hand, the strain of absorbing and casting fire-magic was showing on Willow. Despite the subzero temperatures, Willow was drenched in sweat. It wasn¡¯t just the heat from casting [ember], it was the heat from the fire-mana coursing through her body and stress of making sure it didn¡¯t ignite inside her body.


    The strategy was simple and elegant. Each fiery attack left burns across the wraith¡¯s body. Burns that could be struck by physical attacks from a sword or shield. It might¡¯ve been easier to cast a high-level fire spell, but that would require a high-level magic-user of which they were in short supply.


    Instead, they had a rookie scholar with a basic understanding of magic casting the lowest level fire spell in existence backed up by one veteran shield knight and a pathfinder with no arrows and a short sword. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was working.


    ¡°It¡¯s slowing down!¡± Jinyoung called out.


    It was true, the wraith¡¯s movements were just a bit easier to dodge and it wasn¡¯t as quick, making for an easier target. The floors and ceiling of the staging area were ripped to shreds. Cold air blew freely through the arena as Jinyoung shivered.


    Jinyoung readied his sword and took up a position next to Willow. He longed to jump in and battle the wraith himself, but he didn¡¯t want to break the delicate choreography that had formed between Seunghyo, Hana and Willow.


    The wraith was flailing, but its attacks were no less dangerous. Hana and Seunghyo moved back and Willow cast [ember].


    ¡°This is the last Fire Stone! Make it count!¡± she yelled.


    The wraith was engulfed in the flames, but he could see it was moving. Lowering its claws as if-


    CRUNCH!


    The monster struck upwards with its claws, burying itself under a shower of rubble.


    Willow kept the spell going until the Fire Stone sputtered and cracked and she cut off the flames.


    ¡°Is it dead?¡± she whispered.


    The rubble was charred and embers of the fires remained, but nothing moved.


    ¡°I¡¯ll [scan] it and-¡±


    He felt it. A worryingly familiar pull of air as it moved past him and towards the rubble.


    He barely had enough time to reach Willow before the icy cold air exploded outwards along with tons of concrete and rubble. He did his best to cover Willow, but he felt a sharp pain as something struck him in the head.


    Closer to the source of the attack, Hana had enough time to raise her shield. Seunghyo tried to get to her, but his legs couldn¡¯t move fast enough and he was knocked back by the force of the wind.


    She¡¯d barely lowered the shield enough to peek beyond it when she saw what was coming. Quickly she threw her weight backwards and tumbled to the ground, just in time to see a smoldering claw whip past her face.


    She scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could before the next strike came. WHAM!


    The impact nearly threw the shield from her hands and her body shook from the blow.


    WHAM!


    The next strike came faster and hit harder. Each blow came quickly, rattling Hana¡¯s bones and her nerves. Hana tried to crane her neck around to look behind her, but any lapse in attention would be lethal. There was no opening to strike back, much less take a second to survey her surroundings.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The fight was less of a choreographed ballet and more of an umbrella against a tempest. The blows were knocking Hana about, making it hard to keep her balance. She tried to turn the tide by parrying a blow, but the wraith simply ripped the sword from grasp and sent it clattering away.


    With each attack, the wraith grew bolder. Swinging wider and attacking more recklessly. Fewer and fewer attacks were being dodged and nearly all of them were being blocked. But Hana no longer had the strength to repel each attack and she was being pushed back.


    ¡°Willow!¡±


    There was no response. Not from Seunghyo. Not from Willow. Not even from Jinyoung.


    ***


    The world was spinning.


    All Jinyoung could do was keep his hands and knees on the ground and wait for it to stop. He felt the back of his head and when he pulled his hand away, there was blood. Thankfully not too much, but that explained the sharp headache that was slowly settling into a dull throb.


    He surveyed his surroundings and spotted Seunghyo, crumpled in a corner. Willow was down next to him, unconscious but breathing.


    And in front of him was a sword. It wasn¡¯t his sword. He still had his sword under his hand..


    Slowly, he lifted his gaze and saw Hana, facing off against the wraith alone. Again.


    But this time, it was different. She was holding the shield with both hands. It was her sword that was lying in front of him, presumably knocked away during the battle. And from the looks of it, Hana didn¡¯t have the strength of the speed to counter any of the wraith¡¯s attacks anyway.


    ¡°Okay, there¡¯s¡­ there has to be something.¡±


    Jinyoung scanned the arena looking for something, anything that could turn the tide of battle. The wraith was on its last legs, but so were they. And at this rate, they would reach the end of their rope before it did.


    ¡°Something¡­¡±


    His eyes circled the battlefield until they came back to rest on Hana¡¯s sword. He looked down at his own sword before looking back up at the wraith.


    Charge boosts one attack, he thought.


    Hana¡¯s sword was lighter than he expected. It was a one-handed sword, but it was weighted well. His own sword felt heavier by comparison and he made a mental note to compensate for that.


    ¡°Hana! I need an opening!¡±


    Hana nodded and grit her teeth. Her body was exhausted beyond measure and it hurt just to move. But she¡¯d have to move if she wanted to survive this encounter. If any of them did.


    The wraith pushed in and thrust its claws. Instead of blocking, Hana shifted sideways so that the blow glanced off her shield putting her just a step away from the monster. She took a split-second to gather what reserves she had left and [shield bashed] it at close-range.


    It shifted its weight back a bit, barely flinching as it did so. But it was enough.


    Jinyoung was on the monster and swinging both swords in a wide slash. He could feel the [charged] energy coursing through him, letting him move faster and hit harder than he normally could. He judged his attack perfectly as both swords impacted the wraith¡¯s torso at the same time, knocking it backwards and throwing it into the concrete arena¡¯s walls with a THOOM!


    The monster attacked viciously, but each attack met empty air as Jinyoung timed his [dashes] perfectly. It was terrifying how close each swipe and trust was to ripping him open, but Jinyoung moved swiftly and, when necessary, he created distance between himself and the monster. It was several exchanges before Jinyoung realized that he was controlling the tempo and flow of battle.


    Jinyoung thought back to his training sessions with Youngho. As much as he hated to admit it, those sessions in preparation for the Academy had shaped him in the years to come. The lessons were hard learned, but they allowed him to move ahead of his classmates and, even now, were the difference between life and death.


    Step left. [Dash]. Lean right. [Charge]. [Dash]. Two-handed slash.


    Again and again, Jinyoung pushed the wraith¡¯s advances back. The burns across the monster¡¯s body glowed and bled freely from where Jinyoung had cut it.


    The monster fought back, but every cut and thrust it attempted was telegraphed by the onion knight¡¯s [scan]. Better still, attacks made with [charge] hit like hammer blows and knocked the creature back.


    Careful, he thought to himself. Let it come to you.


    Youngho had been adamant that there were hundreds of ways to lose a battle, but you only needed to find one way to win. Stronger enemies were clumsy, faster enemies overextended themselves, and smarter were overconfident. The wraith was stronger and faster, so he¡¯d have to wait for it to be clumsy or, more likely, overextend itself.


    And, just like it had with Hana, it extended its arms in a piercing thrust. If Jinyoung had a shield, he might¡¯ve tried to deflect it to the side. Or if he were more skilled with a sword, parry the strike in order to create an opening.


    But he didn¡¯t have a shield. And he wasn¡¯t nearly as skilled with a sword. But he did have [scan], so he could see the attack coming..


    Instead of giving the attack a wide berth, Jinyoung stepped in and let the monster¡¯s claws sail within inches of his face. He let the monster¡¯s momentum carry it forward and cut straight through the wraith¡¯s torso with both swords. Unable to stand, the wraith crumpled to the ground, dripping pools of dark blue blood.


    Jinyoung moved closer, swords at the ready. But the wraith wasn¡¯t moving much aside from ragged and shallow breaths. He approached it carefully, but the thing didn¡¯t look at him. It was hunched over, head facing the ground. It almost looked like a runner who had just finished a race.


    He placed his swords on the back of its neck. Jinyoung couldn¡¯t tell if it was his imagination or not, but it looked as if the monster dipped its head lower. But at the least, the thing didn¡¯t shy away from the touch of his blades.


    He nodded to himself, lifted up the swords, and, with all his might, swung down his blades.


    QUEST: Hard Target


    OBJECTIVE: Defeat the SIN Wraith in battle.


    Current progress: Complete


    REWARD: Wraith Shroud


    QUEST: The Path of the ONION KNIGHT (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Reveal and COMPLETE 3 secret SUBQUESTS.


    Current progress: Complete


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    [Level Up!]

 Crossing Lines (24)

    A new aspect?


    He¡¯d forgotten all about the skill quests. In all honesty, he¡¯d forgotten about everything else aside from surviving until the System notified him.


    QUEST: The Path of the ONION KNIGHT (I)


    OBJECTIVE: Reveal and COMPLETE 3 secret SUBQUESTS.


    Current progress: Complete


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    New (Third Eye) ASPECT Unlocked!


    SCAN+ now reveals additional information about PLAYERS and monsters.


    That was¡­ unexpected. Of the three No Class skills, it was universally agreed that [scan] was potentially the most useful for support classes. Being able to see how a monster was attacking and basic information allowed players to tailor their strategies before entering battle.


    But being able to see more information about other players was simply unheard of. Now all he had to do was check for-


    ¡°Jinyoung.¡±


    Seunghyo¡¯s voice snapped him out of his trance. He was still standing in front of the wraith¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°We need to move. It¡¯s minus twenty now and we¡¯re out of Fire Stones.¡±


    The onion knight looked at his surroundings and was reminded of where he was. The structure lay in ruins and cold winds freely blew into the space.


    ¡°Right,¡± he mumbled. The air was frigid and unless they wanted to battle hypothermia, the party needed to move somewhere warmer.


    Seunghyo motioned for him to carry Willow into the gate-lock chamber where Hana was waiting. Jinyoung had Willow¡¯s arm slung over his shoulder and she was slowly coming to.


    ¡°Hey, you did great.¡±


    Willow smiled back weakly.


    Jinyoung was in high spirits. He was sure that the rest of the party had leveled up with the defeat of the wraith, his own advancements notwithstanding.


    ¡°Another quest completed, right, Hana?¡± he asked cheerfully.


    A stony silence greeted him. His sister walked up to where he stood and checked on Willow. Satisfied that she wouldn¡¯t die in the immediate future, she silently walked past them to the gate-lock entrance.


    ¡°Seunghyo! Get in here or we¡¯ll leave you behind!¡±


    A few seconds later, Seunghyo¡¯s entered the chamber with a boyish grin on his face.


    ¡°Just wanted to grab my bow,¡± he replied, proceeding his bow for all to see. ¡°Now let me see¡­¡±


    Seunghyo stared at the control panel thoughtfully before tapping on the keys to wake the system from its slumber. It took two tries, punctuated by a harsh buzzer before Seunghyo entered the correct keycode and the gate-lock mercifully began to creak to life.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Meanwhile, Hana stared ahead silently, willing the gate to move faster.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Jinyoung offered. ¡°Are we okay?¡±


    The rush of anger made Hana dizzy for a second. In the end, the only thing she could do was scoff.


    She turned and looked her brother in the eye. ¡°No, we are not okay.¡±


    Jinyoung was taken aback, but he did his best not to show it. ¡°We made it out in one piece, Hana. That¡¯s a win in my book.¡±


    ¡°Have you lost your mind? We almost died back there. All so you-¡±


    ¡°But we didn¡¯t.¡±


    Hana stared at her brother. She could see him for who he was. Not the well-intentioned but inexperienced player she hoped he was, but the selfish, egotistical and foolhardy boy before her.


    ¡°We were seconds from death, Jinyoung.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the job, Hana.¡±


    Hana laughed. ¡°Only for heroes, idiots and fools, brother. And I don¡¯t know which you think you are, but there isn¡¯t a difference between them. I would think our father taught you that.¡±


    It was Jinyoung¡¯s turn to turn flush with anger.


    ¡°He¡¯s not my father, Hana.¡±


    The gate-lock rolled into place, revealing the entrance to the structure itself.


    ¡°I know you have your problems with him, but he¡¯s always been there for me,¡± Hana said. ¡°And whether you want to admit it or not, he¡¯s always been there for you, too.¡±


    ¡°Except now, right? Where the hell is the great Youngho Ko now, Hana?¡± Jinyoung shot back.


    Seunghyo had his doubts about wading into this family squabble, but over the past few hours he¡¯d realized that the two siblings were missing a piece of vital information. And while their marriage had long since ended, the guilt he felt for not talking to Hana outright weighed on him.


    ¡°Wait, your father-¡± he started. But Jinyoung cut him off before he could finish.


    ¡°This is a family matter. We don¡¯t need your opinion of the old man.¡±


    Hana stepped forward and closed the distance with Jinyoung. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to him like that.¡±


    Jinyoung turned to face his sister. And, to drive the message home, he took a step toward her. ¡°Or what, little sister?¡±


    The challenge hung in the air and Willow shivered.


    ¡°Hey,¡± she said weakly. ¡°This is the last thing we need. We¡¯re on the home stretch here. Once we have Seunghyo¡¯s team, we can leave. Jinyoung? Sunbae?¡±


    The siblings stared each other down. Neither wanting to back down or concede to the other. And maybe if nothing had broken the silence, the challenge may have resulted in blows.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Seunghyo asked. ¡°What about the others?¡±


    ¡°Others?¡± Hana echoed.


    ¡°Yeah, Hana. I mean, I know we have our history, but I assumed you came here to retrieve Survey Team 1.¡±


    Seunghyo was having a hard time understanding what he was hearing. He assumed that Hana and her party hadn¡¯t been told the full story of the northern barony, but this¡­


    Hana sighed and turned to face her ex-husband. ¡°If they¡¯re with your team, then we can bring them with us. But we¡¯re not here for anyone but you and your team, Seunghyo.¡±


    Hana didn¡¯t notice the look on his face, but Jinyoung did. He clocked it immediately. It was a mix of confusion and a dawning realization.


    I know we have our history, Seunghyo had said. But I assumed you came here to retrieve Survey Team 1.


    ¡°Seunghyo,¡± Jinyoung said. ¡°I want you to answer me very carefully.¡±


    The pathfinder took a deep breath. He already knew what Jinyoung was going to ask.


    ¡°Who was on Survey Team 1?¡±


    Hana made a face. ¡°Why does that matter?¡±


    But Jinyoung¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave Seunghyo¡¯s face. And eventually, Hana turned to face him as well as saw what Jinyoung had seen. All this time, Seunghyo was silent. Not because he didn¡¯t have an answer, rather because he didn¡¯t want to answer. He was hesitating.


    ¡°Survey Team 1 was headed by Youngho Ko,¡± he replied.

 The Lies We Hold Dear (1)

    Until now, Willow had only cast the occasional spell in battle, usually [arcane shot] but she¡¯d never held a spell for longer than a second or two.


    Her fingertips were cracked and she winced she moved. There were light burns across her body, mostly her arms, but she¡¯d survived. The bigger problem was the throbbing in her head. She suspected that she¡¯d fallen and hit her head on the ground.


    It was a dull throb, which was a good sign. But she¡¯d have to stay awake just in case she had a concussion. The exhaustion wasn¡¯t helping matters, but, luckily, the screaming was helping.


    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Hana yelled.


    There wasn¡¯t an answer. Not a direct one anyway, not because no one knew the answer. Mostly because Seunghyo had explained it to them two times already.


    ¡°Your father was working on a potential outbreak just south of here with a party of players a little over three months ago,¡± Seunghyo explained. ¡°They received an SOS from the barony which they reported to the Society.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡± Jinyoung asked.


    Seunghyo sighed. ¡°The Society tasked your father and his team to find out what went wrong up here. Another team, Survey Team-2 was tasked with patrolling the borderlands when they received an SOS. After that, we were sent in to find our way north and make contact with the barony.¡±


    The story was, among other things, at odds with the one that Seah had told them in Seorak. According to her, they sent in the first team before sending in two more teams after the first team. But Seunghyo¡¯s story was different.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what Seah told us,¡± Jinyoung replied. Behind him,


    Hana rolled her eyes. ¡°What a surprise.¡±


    ¡°The first team was sent in a few months ago to make contact. And then the next two teams were sent in afterwards to get in contact with the first team.¡±


    Hana sighed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense, Jinyoung. If a survey team goes missing, at best they send a secondary team in. They don¡¯t send in two more survey teams, especially if there¡¯s the potential for danger.¡±


    Jinyoung spoke softly. ¡°So Seah lied to us.¡±


    Hana shot him a knowing look. ¡°We can¡¯t trust her, Jinyoung.¡±


    Try as he might, he couldn¡¯t look Hana in the eye. Instead he focused on trying to think of a reason that Seah would keep this from him.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Or something else all together.


    ¡°Do we have any way of communicating with the outside world?¡± Willow asked. She slowly rose to her feet to rejoin.


    Seunghyo flexed his hand. ¡°We didn¡¯t bring anything with us and aside from emergency lights and structural mechanisms, nothing else works. That includes radios.¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, Hana saw Jinyoung flinch.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯d better start moving,¡± she said before unsteadily rising to her feet.


    Jinyoung started to complain, but Willow held up her hand. ¡°Seunghyo, is there anywhere with beds or anything here?¡±


    While she spoke, she put a hand out to steady herself on the wall behind her.


    ¡°Well, uh¡­ there¡¯s a housing area not too far from here. They had some beds and furniture. That¡¯s where I left my team,¡± Seunghyo said with uncertainty. ¡°But I haven¡¯t been able to-¡±


    The young scholar waved her hands. ¡°You had me at ¡®beds¡¯.¡±


    Without a word, she limped past the others and started making her way down the hall in the direction Seunghyo had indicated.


    The ¡®housing area¡¯ as Seunghyo described it was a set of dormitories. The party chose one with a door and made their wainside. The walk from the gate-lock chamber to the dorms had been short, but it felt long. Jinyoung hurried to lend Willow a shoulder to lean on to take the pressure off an injured ankle.


    Meanwhile, no one spoke.


    Even when they reached the comfort of the dormitories, other than a sigh of comfort, no words were spoken.


    Just silence.


    ***


    The dormitories, like the rest of the structure, were neatly organized. Personal belongings from the previous inhabitants like books and jewelry boxes were stacked on shelves.


    Willow shivered. It was like everyone here picked up and disappeared.


    ¡°They¡¯re not here,¡± Hana said flatly.


    There were only four rooms, easily searched and it was obvious that there were no other inhabitants here.


    ¡°No,¡± Seunghyo responded. ¡°They must have moved on when I didn¡¯t return.¡±


    Hana nodded. ¡°We need to check the perimeter, just in case. I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°Get some rest,¡± Seunghyo interrupted. ¡°You and Willow took the worst of it. Jinyoung and I will scout ahead.¡±


    Reluctantly, Hana agreed to the plan. She knew that Willow was in no state to enter a fight and her own reserves were depleted.


    ¡°Watch your backs,¡± she said as they walked away from the dormitories. Hana stood in the corridor, half in the room and half out, watching the two of them until they turned a corner and disappeared from view.


    Each dormitory was a square room with four bunk beds and one point of entry. The path they had come from didn¡¯t branch at all, meaning the gate-lock was the only entry point which they had closed behind them.


    But the path ahead could branch, leaving the potential for hostiles to approach them from the front. After a bit of hesitation, Hana closed and locked the door.


    ¡°Sunbae. What he said about there being no communications¡­¡±


    She had the same thought. When Seah presented the mission to them in Seorak, she played them a radio communication from Seunghyo.


    ¡°I know,¡± Hana replied grimly.

 The Lies We Hold Dear (2)

    ¡°So what happened between the two of you?"


    Seunghyo couldn''t help but laugh to himself when Jinyoung blurted out the question. When Hana revealed Jinyoung''s identity, Seunghyo had assumed there were only two options. One was that Hana had already spoken to her long-lost brother and explained their relationship. It certainly wasn''t outside the realm of possibility.


    The second was much simpler. Hana had told him little to nothing of their relationship. And, judging by the tone and manner in which Jinyoung had lobbed the question his way, it was the latter.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised she left the Academy,¡± he said instead. ¡°She loved it there.¡±


    Jinyoung flinched just the tiniest bit. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Seunghyo ducked into a room and scanned the interior before closing the door and returning to the corridor. ¡°Yeah. I still remember the first day I saw her there, she looked better than she had in weeks.¡±


    Jinyoung opened a door leading into a laboratory. The equipment was covered in a thin layer of dust and was otherwise undisturbed. ¡°Were the two of you still married then?¡±


    Seunghyo shook his head. ¡°No,¡± he replied, locking another door behind him. ¡°We were already through by then, but I stopped by to talk to Johann.¡±


    He saw the confused look on Jinyoung¡¯s face and smiled. ¡°He mentored me during the last year of Academy and we kept in touch after. You know, like Seah and Hana?¡±


    Seah and Hana? Jinyoung thought to himself.


    If Seunghyo noticed the pause, he didn¡¯t let on. ¡°I was just glad that Johann could find a place for her.¡±


    For the next few minutes, they worked in silence. Doors opened and wary eyes peered around corners looking for any hint of danger. But there was nothing. Just the remains of hundreds of people that had been left behind.


    Eventually, Jinyoung broke the silence. ¡°When was the last time you and Hana spoke?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been at least seven years. Give or take.¡± Seunghyo¡¯s voice trailed off.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Seunghyo?¡±


    Seunghyo took a deep breath. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    He knew what was coming next. He¡¯d half-considered leaving Jinyoung behind so he could clear the corridor alone. Chances of running into anything were slim, but he didn¡¯t want to call attention to himself either.


    ¡°What happened between the two of you?¡±


    The pathfinder closed his eyes and looked at the corridor ahead. There was another gate-lock chamber just ahead. Similar to the one that had held the wraith earlier, but this one would be empty. Henry would have made sure of that.


    Seunghyo walked forward and motioned for Jinyoung to follow him. Quietly, he motioned at the gate-lock. It only took a minute to activate the panel and close the gate-lock. It wasn¡¯t soundproof, but it¡¯d keep prying ears out of what was coming next.


    ¡°After Cyrus and Seah left, Hana struck out on her own for a bit,¡± Seunghyo explained.


    It had been a difficult time for the both of them. Seunghyo remembered being busy with missions being assigned to him by the Society while Hana was taking on more prestige quests from larger clans backed by corporate sponsors.


    ¡°We started seeing the first major corporations starting to gather power then. Burdock, Series, Myosis. They started by taking over mining rights to dungeons for mana stones before moving on to sponsoring players and then eventually clans.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like they were raising armies,¡± Jinyoung said.


    Seunghyo nodded. ¡°They were.¡±


    Hana and Seunghyo had kept their distance for a time, but corporate sponsors started hiring freelance players to help guide their own players through missions. It wasn¡¯t much different from what Academy instructors did, but the pay was triple and the corporate sponsors supplied weapons, armor, and everything else.


    ¡°Hana had already made a name for herself with the Phoenix. People were already starting to call her the Shield Knight of the Blade.¡±


    Jinyoung nodded. He¡¯d heard enough to know that Hana had a legend about her. Back at the Seorak outbreak, more than a few players had approached her to express their awe and gratitude.


    ¡°Then what happened?¡±


    The pair had been walking back to the dormitories. Seunghyo looked around them and chose a small laboratory. Inside, there were neat stacks and shelves of glassware. A handful of pieces were left out, as if someone had been running labs just an hour or two ago.


    Seunghyo sighed. ¡°She took a job. It was an expedition to a dungeon just south of the city.¡±


    It was in late-January which meant the country hadn¡¯t quite thawed yet. Aside from being cold, it was the time of year that new dungeon spawns appeared most.


    Dungeons were dangerous, but they were also profitable. Monsters provided valuable materials while the dungeon itself could be home to rare minerals and resources like mana stones. So it was common for players and clans to take on expedition missions set up by corporate sponsors looking for their next gold mine.


    ¡°Was it a corporate-sponsored clan?¡±


    Seunghyo grimaced. ¡°No. It was worse.¡±

 The Lies We Hold Dear (3)

    The corridor had been empty for so long, that a thin layer of dust covered every surface within. Many of the rooms lining the corridor were laboratories. Beakers and glassware lined the walls in some rooms while others housed equipment and machinery to analyze foreign material.


    Some of the rooms had been disturbed, cabinets of chemicals rummaged through. Jinyoung assumed it was the work of Seunghyo¡¯s comrades, if not the man himself. Out of his own curiosity, Jinyoung opened a cabinet and found reinforced vials marked ¡°cryogenic sample storage¡±.


    Like everything in the north, the walls and floors were poured concrete. And, properly shielded from the elements, they could have lasted decades while keeping the inhabitants safe and warm.


    And just like the other structures they¡¯d passed through in the north, there were no answers to be found here either. Without Hana or Willow, Jinyoung felt strangely bare. The party had traveled together for so long now that without them, he felt defenseless. Yes, Seunghyo was here, but that strangely was no consolation.


    Then again, being isolated with Seunghyo and away from Hana allowed for other opportunities.


    ¡°What happened between the two of you?¡±


    They cleared the rooms in silence, making certain there were no surprises waiting for them. A task Seunghyo didn¡¯t help with, but at the same time, he could see that the siblings could use some space away from each other..


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jinyoung shot him an annoyed look.


    Seunghyo sighed. ¡°She took a job she shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    Jinyoung stared at him. And after a minute had passed, he kept staring.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Look, Jinyoung, I know you want to act like the big brother here, but you-¡±


    Jinyoung held up a hand. ¡°I don¡¯t need your excuses. I need to know what happened.¡±


    A silence passed between them. Seunghyo nodded.


    ¡°Okay, but not here.¡±


    He motioned for Jinyoung to follow him as they cleared the rest of the corridor. About 50 meters further was the next gate-lock. Seunghyo could see it had been used, but the gate was, for the time being, shut. He needed to take it one step further.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Jinyoung watched as Seunghyo tapped in some keys and locked the gate in place. No one was getting in from the outside unless someone let them in.


    ¡°It was an Expedition quest,¡± Seunghyo said finally. ¡°She was hired on to take some twenties down south to a new dungeon that had been discovered.¡±


    Expedition quests weren¡¯t uncommon, but they were certainly not for players in their twenties.


    ¡°Hana was level 42, I think. She¡¯d gone through a few of these before, enough that other clans would pay a premium for it.¡±


    Dungeons were dangerous, but they were also profitable. Monsters provided valuable materials while the dungeon itself could be home to rare minerals and resources like mana stones. So it was common for players and clans to take on expedition missions set up by corporate sponsors looking for their next gold mine.


    Unlike Outbreak or Hunt quests, Expedition quests tasked players with mapping a dungeon in the search for resources rather than engaging monsters in battle. For that reason, Expedition quests are popular with support classes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t Expedition missions have a level limit?¡± Jinyoung asked.


    Seunghyo shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re supposed to be 35 or higher, but it¡¯s a soft limit. Easily bypassed if you¡¯ve got the gold to cover it.¡±


    ¡°And these ¡®twenties¡¯ had the gold to cover it?¡±


    ¡°The three of them and they gave us some song-and-dance about having finished the Academy with some spare gold. I told Hana not to take the job, but she¡¯d done so many of these already¡­¡±


    Seunghyo¡¯s voice trailed off. The dungeon was a natural cave formation that, before the Break, had been part of an old temple. Pilgrimages were made year-round to the temple and the cave which housed a large statue deep within its depths.


    He could still remember coming across his wife in its depth, covered in scores of cuts and bruises cradling the body of a young player.


    Jinyoung was beginning to regret asking. ¡°So, what happened?¡±


    Hana¡¯s voice rang through the corridor. ¡°Two of them died.¡±


    Seunghyo grimaced at the sound of her voice.


    Unbeknownst to the two, Hana had slowly walked the length of the corridor before finally catching up to the two of them.


    ¡°I wondered where the two of you were off to, but I guess I should have known,¡± Hana spoke. ¡°So, are there any more questions dear brother or would you rather ask my ex-husband?¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s face betrayed his shame and he had no intention of answering, not that Hana had any intention of letting him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, I took this quest which I shouldn¡¯t have and as a result, two young players died. We were in over our heads, stretched our resources too far and thought we could handle more than we could. Does that sound familiar, oppa?¡± she asked pointedly.


    ¡°And then, once that was over, my dear husband left. A wife mired in depression didn¡¯t quite fit with the adventurer¡¯s life, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    It was Seunghyo¡¯s turn to look away. He grit his teeth and balled his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. He knew what he wanted to say and he knew what he should say. Two choices, clear as day. So he chose.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Jinyoung looked at Seunghyo. And while he wanted to say something, he chose to stay silent.


    ¡°The only one who was there for me was dad. And if it weren¡¯t for Johann¡­¡±


    Hana let her voice trail off while her ex-husband and brother avoided her eyes.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t why I came,¡± Hana said. ¡°We need to talk, all of us.¡±

 The Lies We Hold Dear (4)

    The next day passed without incident. The dormitories had a few supplies and the party gathered what they could. Jinyoung found new winter coats to replace the ones they¡¯d worn in. The coats had held up well against the weather, but doing battle with the wraith had shredded them. Willow¡¯s in particular was burned up to the elbows.


    Seunghyo made himself scarce while Hana took some time to investigate the structure itself. The only humans they¡¯d come across up north aside from Seunghyo were the Frostbitten. But that didn¡¯t explain why everything had been left untouched and where the Frostbitten had come from.


    For Willow¡¯s part, her fever had gone down to manageable levels, but her body ached like she had been put through the ringer. Every muscle in her body burned, but worse still, she had lost access to the System. It wasn¡¯t common with mana-sickness, but it happened.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Jinyoung asked.


    Willow smiled weakly in response, but even that was exhausting.


    It was a consequence of pushing past your own mana limits and drawing off your own health. Thanks to the Fire Stone, she hadn¡¯t caused any irreparable harm to herself, but those limits were there for a reason. Until her natural mana reserves replenished naturally, she wouldn¡¯t have access to any spells or skills that required mana.


    Physically, her body felt like it needed another two days of rest. But mentally, she wanted to get out of the underground dormitory more than anything. A day and a half in an underground bunker had been hell and she wanted to be outside more than anything else.


    The plan was simple. The capital city of the north was Pyong-gang, located another 7 kilometers north of their current location. At a steady rate, that was a 4 hour journey assuming no major complications. Complications like a roving horde of Frostbitten players or other monsters like the wraith they had faced just yesterday.


    ¡°Every day we wait here means we run lower on supplies,¡± Hana reminded them. ¡°And we don¡¯t have the Fire Stones anymore so we have to move quickly.¡±


    Willow winced at the thought of moving above ground without the Fire Stones to keep them warm. It had been just bearable with their thick winter padding and the contained fire-magic before. Now, it would be ten times worse.


    But now they were outside, the cold air on her face felt like a boon. The fever that had weakened and sapped her energy for so long was completely nullified. Without a fever to fight against, her body started to focus on other essential functions. The others, on the other hand, were struggling. Without the Fire Stones, Jinyoung¡¯s movements were stiff and he kept his arms wrapped around his body. Hana didn¡¯t give any outward signs that the cold was affecting her, but she was stumbling more than she normally did.


    Seunghyo, as it turned out, never had a Fire Stone in his possession. While he was clearly not enjoying the cold, he didn¡¯t have as much trouble adjusting to its effects as the others.


    For hours, they trudged in silence. The terrain was much easier to navigate here. Instead of icy rock and frozen gravel, the ground mostly level and the few rocky outcroppings could be easily avoided.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    It was an hour before Willow broke the silence.


    Status update.


    Willow had noticed the icy silence after she woke up. Sunbae had been warm and attentive towards her, but she grew cold when Jinyoung or Seunghyo entered the room.


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyes went wide for a moment. He looked like he might respond, but Willow didn¡¯t see one in the precious minute that followed. For a moment, she regretted her decision. The air felt colder in the purposeful silence.


    Eventually, she realized that no one was going to respond.


    Level 19, scholar. I¡¯m still pushing into wisdom and luck. I still can¡¯t access the system, she continued. But the burns on my hands and arms have healed. Physically, I¡¯m at 80% but I should be back at full strength in a day or two.


    Level 53, shield knight.


    Willow didn¡¯t think, she just reacted. Shit.


    This entire time that they had traveled together, Hana had yet to level up. From their lessons at the Academy, Willow knew that Hana had been level 52 for at least two years. Increasing your level became extremely difficult and often time consuming after 40. It was common knowledge the highest level on record was 59.


    I¡¯m sorry, sunbae, Willow stuttered out. I didn¡¯t¡­


    Willow¡¯s voice faded out. She expected Hana to say something. Perhaps even chide her, but no response was forthcoming.


    Level 22, onion knight, Jinyoung said shakily. I received an item after the battle with the wraith. It¡¯s called the Wraith¡¯s Shroud. But, uh¡­ we have a problem.


    If Jinyoung sounded uncertain, it was with good reason. Thus far, the Onion Knight class had unlocked skills that were useful, but also painted a target on his back if they were ever to become public. More than any other skill [scan] had become a tool that any clan would want in their arsenal, but it could also be used against players.


    When we beat the wraith, I unlocked a new aspect to my Scan skill, he said carefully. It allows me to learn more information about players and monsters.


    So? Willow asked. It¡¯s nothing new. You¡¯ve been able to scan players and monsters this entire time, right?


    This is different, Jinyoung responded. When we first arrived at the dormitories¡­ Willow, you asked Seunghyo whether there was any way to communicate with the outside world. And he said no. And, the thing is¡­ My scan skill doesn¡¯t work the, uh¡­ I saw something.


    Hana grit her teeth. Jinyoung, there are only two options here. Either the recording Seah gave us to listen to was fake or Seunghyo was lying.


    The cold air cut at his eyes and Jinyoung blinked in an effort to keep his eye dry. Completing the Hidden Quest unlocked the Third Eye aspect for Scan which had the vague description of revealing ¡°additional information about players and monsters.¡±


    I was curious about how it worked, so I tested it.


    He could still remember the strange notification that appeared in his eyeline when they were talking. It was faint, but easily visible. A small red dot, visible just above Seunghyo¡¯s head. Hana clocked it before he finished his explanation.


    It¡¯s a lie detector, she said in awe. You can tell when people are lying.

 The Lies We Hold Dear (5)

    ¡®Hyo, the Biter horde is about ten miles north of your position. The winds in their face so they shouldn¡¯t get any scent of you. That is, assuming these things still have noses.


    The northlands were barren, even before the Break. But not long after the northern barony established themselves, they were able to create trade with the south as well as their neighbors further to the north.


    Now, where there was previously empty plainslands, there were trees. Massive things that grew from hard earth before stretching and twisting their branches into the sky. The few outsiders who saw it thought it was a marvel of genetic engineering. Somehow, in the chaos after the break, the northern barony had developed vegetation that could survive in the harsh and dry climates of the north.


    But the northern barons were a secretive lot and few invitations allowed outsiders into their lands. Even without the extremities of the cold wintering winds, the mountains surrounding the small kingdom were nearly impassable. So there were no samples of the vegetation taken back for study down south. No one looked closely enough at the trees to see what they were.


    Henry had explored enough of the facilities to know better. The trees hadn¡¯t been developed from other hardy stock or perhaps by splicing different genomes together. They hadn¡¯t been developed at all. They were transplants.


    How¡¯s the ex-wife? he taunted.


    Seunghyo ignored the question. It was hard to remember not working with Henry. And for that he hated the man. He longed for the day that he would never see the Frenchman again. He was tired of the incessant talking. Henry wasn¡¯t just a sociopathic murderer, he was a talkative one.


    Henry, is there anything else out here with us?Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    In response the shadow walker narrowed his eyes. His perception skills weren¡¯t as effective during the day, but he could still spot enemies at a distance better than most.


    There was a small group of Biters here somewhere, but¡­ Henry¡¯s ¡®voice¡¯ trailed off.


    Instinctively, Seunghyo¡¯s eyes scanned the horizon looking for any sign of movement. His perception skills were movement based, so anything that was motionless out there wouldn¡¯t be highlighted in his vision.


    Sorry, kid. I lost track of them.


    He cursed the Frenchman under his breath. He glanced back at his traveling companions. They¡¯d been silent since leaving the structure. On the one hand, there was certainly some tension between Hana and her brother. But it was more likely they were talking over clan chat. And there wasn¡¯t any reason to use clan chat unless they were keeping information from someone outside the clan. Namely, him.


    ¡®Hyo, I need to move up and prepare the welcome party. The horde¡¯s moving east away from your position. I don¡¯t see anything out here, but I caught something on the wind a few hours ago.


    Seunghyo snorted derisively. Henry, we¡¯ve been up here for days. IF there was something else out here, we¡¯d have seen it by now, don¡¯t you think?


    Henry smiled to himself. The boy was an optimist. But Henry knew better.


    Seunghyo, listen up. You know as well as I do that these scientists left the door open too damned long for something not to have come through. Watch your back.


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Seunghyo saw the hint of a shadow move in the horizon. Just thinking back to the door they¡¯d found sent shivers down his spine. He¡¯d been briefed on what the barony had been up to before he was sent in, but seeing the reality was worse than he could¡¯ve imagined.


    Seunghyo had arrived in a team of five close to Pyong-gang. After making a horrific discovery in the depths of the capital, they¡¯d made a hasty retreat. It took them a day and a half of travel before they stopped at the gate-lock chambers. They were so certain they¡¯d lost the wraith that had been hunting them.


    And now, he was heading back to the source of it all with Hana in tow.


    Goddamn it, he thought to himself. Forgive me, Hana.

 The Lies We Hold Dear (6)

    Beyond a small grove of twisted trees with gnarled branches, the path opened up in a clearing. Decades earlier, it had been a hotly contested combat chokepoint. Thousands had died to secure a small stone bridge that crossed over a thin river.


    The only remaining building was a simple military outpost situated on the banks of a dead river. The upper floors were once used as a lookout post and built using sheetrock with aluminum scaffolding. The basement, on the other hand, was crafted out of stone and concrete which did a good job of keeping the cold out.


    The party had made it relatively easily to the outpost with the exception of a single small group of Frostbite. Under normal circumstances, Seunghyo and Willow could have made short work of the monster players, but Willow was still suffering from mana-sickness while Seunghyo was still out of arrows. Cold and exhausted from the trek, the battle had taken longer than it should have. And while everyone came through unscathed, it had made rough an already difficult journey.


    Jinyoung stared at the trees. Thankfully, the frigid wind wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as they got further from the mountains, but this place felt wrong. The weather was far from autumn and much closer to winter, but the trees still had leaves on their branches. Green leaves.


    The longer he looked, the harder it was to look away.


    ¡°You gonna stay out here?¡± Seunghyo asked, interrupting his thoughts.


    Jinyoung blinked rapidly and shook his head. They¡¯re just trees, he told himself.


    ¡°The lack of arrows seems like an oversight,¡± Jinyoung muttered once they were out of the cold.


    The outpost was far from warm, but it was enough. Seunghyo moved to a corner and moved towards a supply chest. Unlike the rest of the furniture and objects around it, it was relatively clean and unencumbered by days of dust and debris brought in by the wind.


    "An oversight is only an oversight if you''re not prepared," Seunghyo said, revealing a quiver of arrows. "I stashed these here on my last time through."


    Jinyoung did his best not to twitch. He''s lying.


    For their part, neither Willow nor Hana reacted in the slightest.


    Which part?


    The party was rummaging through different corners of the basement, or at least one of them was while the other three were doing their best impression of doing so.


    I can''t tell. He could be lying about having come through here earlier or having stashed these here then. Or a million other things.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Or, Willow offered, he could be lying about having been the one to have stashed them here.


    A cold wind blew through the structure upstairs, rattling the loose rafters and sending a small pile of debris clattering across the floor.


    "We should hunker down here for the night," Seunghyo suggested. "The next shelter is seven hours away and the sun''ll be setting in two."


    The thought of stumbling around in the dark for five hours looking for shelter was a daunting one. While the cold was bearable during the day, the party''s brief experience of the freezing cold at night after the battle with the wraith had left an imprint. And that had only been for half an hour. No one wanted to experience that for five hours.


    One glance at Willow and Jinyoung''s faces and Hana knew there was no point in discussing the matter. "Agreed, Jinyoung and I''ll take first watch while-"


    "Actually," Willow piped up. "Sunbae, I was hoping that I could take watch with Jinyoung. He was helpful with my casting back in Seorak and I had some questions."


    Surprisingly, Hana didn''t even attempt to argue against it.


    "Fine, we have two hours. Let''s prep and hunker down for the night."


    There wasn¡¯t much to scavenge in the outpost. Whatever supplies had been here were long since gone leaving only detritus behind.


    There was a brief discussion of a campfire, but it was quickly dismissed. Jinyoung scanned the horizon around them and saw nothing, but that was no guarantee of safety.


    Soon, the two younger players were asleep in the basement while Hana and Seunghyo took up a position in the upper floor of the outpost proper.


    The two sat in silence for an hour before Hana opened her mouth. Aside from a nod of her head or a grim look in her eyes, she¡¯d kept her communication with him at a minimum. At this point, Seunghyo couldn¡¯t blame her.


    "Why didn''t you go back for the arrows?"


    Forgemasters has long since crafted arrows and crossbow bolts that could be fired at monsters, pierce concrete walls and stand up to spells but still be reused in future battles.


    "You mean the wraith?" he asked. "I did but they were unusable."


    When Seunghyo went back to retrieve the arrows he''d used on the wraith, he found that them brittle and in most cases shattered.


    ¡°You think it was the ¡®sin¡¯?¡± she asked.


    For a second, the cold air felt colder still. Seunghyo smiled and looked lovingly at his wife.


    ¡°Hana, you remember the hero¡¯s game don¡¯t you?¡±


    The memory came to her unbidden. During their years together, Seunghyo had revealed himself to be a consummate historian. He had loved reading literature and learning about historical cultures.


    The Hero¡¯s Game was something that came up in many different histories he had told her. It showed up in epic poems and stories of honorable knights and warriors around the world. Storytellers separated by oceans and continents called it by different names, but it was always played the same way.


    ¡°Three questions, three answers,¡± she repeated from memory. ¡°And one of them has to be a lie.¡±


    Her ex-husband nodded. ¡°You remember who goes first then, right?¡±


    Hana nodded and thought carefully.


    Jinyoung, are you awake?


    There was no response but she preferred it that way. Having a human lie detector was helpful, but she wanted this game between them.

 The Lies We Hold Dear (7)

    There was one goal in the Hero¡¯s Game and it was simple: learn more about your opponent than your opponent learns about you.


    Hana and Seunghyo played it for fun during quiet moments, especially when they were on long trips heading into battles or to quests in dungeons. In better days, they would play it before birthdays or Christmas to give each other hints at what present the other got them.


    But at this moment, it was an opportunity. A chance for Hana to learn more about what was going on here and what Seunghyo was really up to.


    ¡°Is my father really here?¡±


    Seunghyo cocked an expressive eyebrow. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hana looked at him, beckoning him to continue.


    ¡°From what I know, a friend of his brought word south to the Player Society that they were heading north to investigate an SOS message,¡± he responded with a shrug.


    ¡°Dae Han,¡± Hana whispered. ¡°Is he up here?¡±


    Seunghyo shook his head. ¡°I doubt it. You only got up here because the Player Society sponsored your train tickets. At best, he¡¯d be two weeks behind the two of you.¡±


    Hana stared at him. Seunghyo smiled that same boyish smile he¡¯d always had on his face. In the beginning, she¡¯d always thought his smile was handsome, but eventually she got tired of being unable to see what was behind it.


    ¡°What happened to the rest of your team?¡±


    Seunghyo¡¯s easy grin faded from his face. ¡°We came up from the south, not far from where you guys came in. It took us a few days, but we made it through the mountains and into Pyong-gang when we ran into the wraith. Only two others survived with me, but we met up with the other survey team.¡±


    The memory disturbed Seunghyo. His party had felt ready for anything when they arrived, but the wraith had been nothing like anything they¡¯d faced. They moved out of the tunnels under the city hoping that the open ground would give them an advantage. Instead, it gave the wraith two days to pick them off one-by-one as they tried to run from cover to cover.


    ¡°I¡­ Thank you for helping kill that thing. It meant a lot. To me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know what to make of his answers. They¡¯d come so easily that she was given to believing they were real. Regarding her father, they¡¯d know the truth soon enough. And the truth of his team made sense with everything they¡¯d learned so far.


    But now she only had one question left. And she had to make it count.


    ¡°How did you know about sin?¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Seunghyo smiled. He hadn¡¯t been certain, but he¡¯d been expecting the question.


    ¡°The labs that we passed through are running on emergency power now, but they had power until a few days ago. Before you arrived, Hana.¡±


    One of the first things that Seunghyo had done after getting away from the wraith was recon the labs to collect intel. While many of the computers were locked and inaccessible, there were enough that he could piece together what the scientists were working on.


    ¡°They were researching gates and monster attributes including sin. The labs in the outer provinces are running on reserve power, but Pyong-gang should still have enough power to run their systems if you want to take a look.¡±


    One part of his response stood out more than the others. ¡°Gates?¡± she repeated.


    But Seunghyo shook his head. Rules were rules and Hana had asked all three of her questions. Now it was his turn.


    ¡°How do you know about sin?¡±


    The question caught Hana off-guard. Regardless of how Seunghyo knew about it, there wasn¡¯t any plausible explanation for how Hana would know what sin was. Not without giving away information about her brother that might put him in danger.


    Seunghyo smiled again and continued on quickly. ¡°Fine, how about another question. What class is Jinyoung?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a fighter,¡± she responded.


    He continued just as quickly. ¡°Right, he¡¯s a low-level fighter who has access to speed buffs and apparently something that allows him to see attacks before they come.¡±


    Hana shut her mouth. Games had always been Seunghyo¡¯s forte, not hers. And she cursed herself for falling into his trap. So far she¡¯d avoided one question and lied once, both of which Seunghyo knew.


    ¡°Last question, Hana.¡± he taunted.


    Her mind reeled, trying to guess what question he might ask. All this time, Hana, Jinyoung and Willow had put their minds together trying to figure out what Seunghyo might be keeping from them. They assumed that he had slipped up a few times and given away information that he didn¡¯t mean to.


    They never even thought that he might be probing them for answers to see what they knew. This foolish game was bait and she had fallen for it.


    Seunghyo smiled. ¡°You¡­ you told Jinyoung that I left because you were depressed. That I couldn¡¯t handle what you were going through and I chose my career over you.¡±


    The words came out slowly as if they hurt Seunghyo to speak them. ¡°Is that really what you think happened?¡±


    For the weeks that followed, Hana would stay up late thinking of that night. This simple game played with someone she had known intimately for almost half her life.


    Something about the tone of his voice made Hana feel like it wasn¡¯t an act. Like he wasn¡¯t putting on a show or trying to find the upper hand.


    She considered lying, she remembered that. After all, she owed him nothing, least of all answers. At her lowest point, he had left her alone. So why did she hesitate?


    But more than anything, she remembered his smile. It looked warm, but it was frozen. As if Seunghyo were holding his breath. Before and after she answered, his expression didn¡¯t change. There was no sigh or sign of dour expression.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she had answered.


    And all the while, his face was frozen with that warm smile.

 The Lies We Hold Dear (8)

    Jinyoung took a deep breath and let it out slowly. So in other words¡­ it didn¡¯t go well.


    Hana¡¯s recap of the night before notwithstanding, Jinyoung felt exhausted. Ever since he unlocked the new aspect to [scan], use of the skill required more focus and energy.


    During their shift, Willow had practiced drawing mana into her hands to use higher level spells. With [scan], Jinyoung could guide her movements and tell her when she needed to use less mana or more.


    Using [scan] repeatedly for such a long period of time was draining. And under normal circumstances, he would¡¯ve stopped but¡­ Willow¡¯s hands were scarred. There were telltale burns reaching from her fingertips and up her wrists underneath the sleeves of her jacket.


    Willow shrugged when he brought them to her attention.


    ¡°They¡¯ve faded a lot and they¡¯ll probably be mostly gone in a few days,¡± Willow said.


    Instead of lingering on her burns, Willow focused on the precarious balance of mana and will required to learn the intermediate set of spells.


    By morning, Willow was able to at least start casting [frost bolt], [shock lance] and [ash burn]. Holding the spells took effort, but the battle with the wraith had widened the breadth of her knowledge. The experience was like being thrown into the deep end of a pool and slowly swimming out.


    Once morning arrived, Seunghyo spread out a crudely drawn map on the dirty floor of the outpost.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± he pointed at a small outpost drawn on the edge of a river. Then he traced his finger along the map following the dried riverbed which was dotted with trees. ¡°We need to walk through here to get to Pyong-gang about a day to the east.¡±


    Hana and Jinyoung looked at one another. Based on Seunghyo¡¯s intel, their father was in the city along with fifty or so civilians who were barely hanging on. They¡¯d have to make it to the city and then somehow get about four dozen non-combatants out of the north and down south while avoiding hordes of Frostbitten players and other potentially lethal threats.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else,¡± Seunghyo said.


    Seunghyo drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Henry had made it clear that he was to keep everyone else in the dark, but the chances of them making it out alive were slim to nil if he kept Hana in the dark.


    The northern barony wasn¡¯t just a separately governed settlement, they were an enclave of scientists established shortly after the Break. The goal was to research and explore the effects of the Break on our world.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°That explains all the labs we¡¯ve been seeing,¡± Hana reasoned. ¡°But, there¡¯s no way that the barony was able to fund all this.¡±


    Jinyoung thought back to the miles of underground structures and well-designed facilities. It would¡¯ve taken years and thousands of people to build it all, not to mention all the lab equipment that populated the entirety of it.


    ¡°Corporate sponsors.¡±


    Seunghyo only spoke two words, but Jinyoung could feel the weight of them. In hindsight, corporations were an obvious consequence of the Break. While most people were trying to survive the end of the world, others saw it as an opportunity to consolidate power and resources.


    Corporate sponsored clans and quests were common enough, but there were always rumors that corporations were starting to exert influence on the interim governments, guilds, and even the Player Society itself.


    Even Jinyoung had to admit that Seah¡¯s position as a director in the Player Society and her marriage to the heir to a corporation didn¡¯t look good.


    Willow fought back the concern in the pit of her stomach. ¡°That could mean anything, right? It¡¯s not necessarily a bad thing.¡±


    The silence that followed made her stomach twist in knots.


    It didn¡¯t take long for everyone to catch on. The northern barony was isolated and separated by mountains from any colonies to the north or south. Here, the corporations were free from prying eyes.


    ¡°As far as I can tell,¡± Seunghyo continued, ¡°They started off researching the corruption and miasma we see in dungeons. They were researching the effects of extended exposure.¡±


    Corruption.


    Every player, regardless of pedigree or education, learned what corruption was. It was the thing that ate away at the concrete foundation beneath your feet or the steel beams holding a building together. It put buildings inside of caves and caves inside of buildings.


    Willow thought to ask why, but the answer was obvious. She knew better than most that corporations would do anything if there were a profit to be had.


    Undeterred, Seunghyo watched his companions carefully as he spoke. ¡°Eventually, they settled on the effects of corruption on the environment. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all come across things in dungeons that don¡¯t belong there. Chairs growing out of walls or sudden changes in the environment. But occasionally, you come across something that doesn¡¯t fit in our world.¡±


    Jinyoung thought back to the Black Shrine. The dungeon where they had discovered the Black Shrine 20 years ago wasn¡¯t just transformed into a natural cave system, it was transformed into something from another world altogether. Something alien.


    ¡°Eventually, they realized that corruption was a result of the breaks. But only a minority of breaks resulted in useful resources, the rest were harmful. And the resources required to check each break was daunting.


    ¡°It would be easier, they realized, if they could create their own breaks. If they could control the when and where.¡±


    It took a moment, but the realization hit Jinyoung and Hana like a ton of bricks. Hana looked away in disgust while Jinyoung cursed.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Willow said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. They wanted to control breaks?¡±


    Hana clenched her jaw and spoke through her teeth. ¡°He means dungeons. They were researching how to create their own dungeons.¡±

 The Lies We Hold Dear (9)

    Where?


    I don¡¯t remember what happened. I was¡­ standing and then¡­ Something hit me.


    No, not hit. Something¡­ fit me. No, not fit. It hurt.


    The nameless thing swayed, unsteady on its feet. It tried to think (Where am I?), but its thoughts moved like molasses. The wind blew, but the thing was barely aware of it. In fact, the only way it knew was because of the rustling of the leaves on the trees (What¡¯s going on?).


    The others around it were likewise swaying mindlessly, nudged occasionally by the wind (Others?). The small group wasn¡¯t staying together out of concern or because they were following any leader. It was more animal instinct, like the flocking of birds (I can¡¯t¡­ move).


    Off in the distance, there was movement. The nameless thing (Name?) didn¡¯t see it at first, but one of the others around it did. One head turned. Then another. A branch cracked in the distance (My name¡­ I have a name).


    One by one, the things became aware of the rustling and their bodies turned to the sound. Each one put one foot in front of the other (I have a name, I¡­ wait. Where am I?)


    Nine pairs of feet drag through the soil moving towards the sound. Towards (Hunger¡­).


    Much as it struggled, the thing walked towards the disturbance. Feet moving faster as it got closer, in expectation of an event (I¡­ feel.).


    One of the others in front of it let out a screech. It pierced the thing¡¯s ears but it wasn¡¯t a painful screech. It was something else (A warning¡­? No, not that. Not fear.).


    The others around it moved faster and the nameless thing¡¯s own body moved faster until it felt its knees pumping. It was running (I feel¡­ something.)This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Then it saw them. Four of them. Not like the others it was with, no. (Hunger¡­).


    The sudden surge of emotion was overwhelming. It felt like a tidal wave that washed away his thoughts and replaced them with an overwhelming need. The nameless thing was truly nameless with any consciousness buried under the deluge of a single obsession.


    Hungry.


    ***


    Jinyoung spotted them first. ¡°Head¡¯s up!¡±


    Uphill from their position, a lone figure broke through the treeline and spotted the four of them making their way through the dried riverbed.


    The Frostbitten raised its head and let out a terrifying screech. Its siren call was cut short when Willow¡¯s [arcane bolt] struck it in its face, sending it tumbling backwards. Before Jinyoung had the chance to compliment Willow on her aim, two other Frostbitten crested over the hill and sprinted at them.


    A bolt launched itself from Seunghyo¡¯s bow and shot towards the head of the nearest one. Instead of simply burying itself in the monster¡¯s head, it plowed straight through like a sledgehammer. A second bolt swiftly followed, but the other Frostbitten dodged sideways, sending the bolt sailing helplessly past.


    It rushed forward on uneven legs, targeting Willow with wide open unblinking eyes. It opened its mouth, revealing very human teeth before its face was caved in by the impact of Hana¡¯s shield. Hana shoved hard, pushing the monster back before sending a chop at the monster¡¯s head.


    On the hill, six more figures burst out and ran at them. Jinyoung stepped forward and eyed the group. They were close enough that he might be able to take them out with one blow, but it was just as likely he¡¯d miss one or two and leave himself open to attack.


    Instead, Jinyoung readied his [charge] and [dashed] past the group of Frostbitten coming to a stop just behind the last two.


    He swung wide, but kept himself from spinning and instead let the momentum of the sword carry his arm back. The swipe cut down two Frostbitten while the other four continued their charge at the rest of his party.


    Jinyoung turned, expecting to see Seunghyo notching another arrow, but instead, the pathfinder was simply watching. Willow launched another [arcane bolt] which missed its intended target leaving four Frostbitten charging directly at Hana. He opened his mouth to call out to Seunghyo or Willow. One of them had to back her up before they got to her.


    Instead of backing up, Hana shrugged her shield down to her forearm and tensed her sword arm. In the blink of an eye, the first Frostbitten was knocked aside with her shield. The shield hit it with such force that Jinyoung could hear the hapless monster¡¯s neck break from a distance. The second one was on her quickly, but her sword was quicker. A quick and efficient cut ended the monster¡¯s life.


    Before they could react, Hana spun cutting a wide slash similar to the one Jinyoung had just performed but without the addition of a skill and cut down the last two Frostbitten, letting their momentum carry them into the path of her blade.


    In the time it had taken Jinyoung to use two skills to cut down two monsters, Hana had essentially done the same to four without the use of a skill.

 The Lies We Hold Dear (10)

    Hana rubbed her hands together. It didn¡¯t create warmth so much as it relieved the numbness for a few precious seconds. It felt like sharp needles in her skin as the feeling returned.


    Pain was good, she reminded herself. It meant the nerves in her hands were still functioning albeit barely. It meant that her brain was healthy enough to receive and interpret those signals. It meant she was still alive.


    From a distance, the capital of Pyong-gang wasn¡¯t more than a cluster of industrial buildings and what looked to be a badly aging shopping mall. Even before the break, the north hadn¡¯t been in the best condition. She could only imagine what it would¡¯ve looked like when the city was in better condition.


    Probably the same, she thought to herself.


    They had left the woods behind an hour ago and crossed through an open plain to reach the city. The party had been silent on their approach, but it was an obvious silence.


    There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re using the clan chat, Sunbae.


    Just because he knows that we¡¯re talking doesn¡¯t mean he knows what we¡¯re talking about.The conversation had gone round and round after their last encounter with the Frostbitten in the forest. The small group had taken them by surprise, but everyone had made a good showing of themselves during the battle. Hana had even noticed that her brother made a conscious effort to reduce the danger to himself and his team in battle.


    Hana herself had performed well. It felt good to be in her element rather than constantly facing off against boss monsters or having to hold back to allow younger players to gain more experience in battle.


    Her brother had been curiously silent since the battle. Hana had thought to see if she could get him to open, but decided against it. After the stress of the past few days, she could use a bit of silence from him.


    I asked him three questions: is my father here, what happened to your team, and how did you learn about sin?


    The rules of the game were simple. They each asked three questions and answered with one lie.


    The only reason to lie about their father would be to get the party to accompany him to Pyong-gang. But lying about the survivors would have been enough, it made no sense to lie about Youngho as well.


    But it would be additional incentive, wouldn¡¯t it? Jinyoung asked.


    Hana had to agree, but the idea that Seunghyo would lie to her about her father made her stomach turn. Separated or not, they had once meant the world to each other.


    If he lied about the rest of his team, they would be lying in wait, Willow offered.


    In truth, Hana had assumed that to be the lie. When she asked him about the rest of his team, he had answered that all but two were dead. The wraith was certainly deadly, but it could be possible that he and his team had simply retreated through the gate-lock with few losses if any.


    But he told me he had met up with the other survey team, Hana countered. If he were lying to deflate their numbers, why not leave that part out as well?


    Finally, the third question had been about how Seunghyo knew of ¡®sin¡¯.


    It makes sense that he would¡¯ve seen data in the labs about sin, Jinyoung said. And there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything to gain if he did lie about this.


    Hana cursed to herself. This was exactly what Seunghyo wanted, to sow confusion and dissent among Hana and her party. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    It doesn¡¯t matter, she said. We need to be ready for anything when we get in there.


    ***


    The exterior of the shopping mall was surprisingly well intact. It didn¡¯t look like the ravages of the Break had done much to it. It wasn¡¯t until they were inside that the party realized the reasoning.


    ¡°It¡¯s empty,¡± Willow whispered.


    The entirety of the mall was empty. Not as if it had been cleared out, but as if it had never been populated to begin with.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Seunghyo said with a chuckle. ¡° Rumor is, the north built this and the structures around here before the break to make it look like it was a thriving industrial complex. But all the buildings around here are empty shells.¡±


    The pathfinder walked ahead past empty elevator shafts towards a stairwell in the back.


    ¡°Since there wasn¡¯t a population here before the Break, there aren¡¯t any dungeons in the area,¡± he continued. ¡°At least, there wasn''t until the barony got involved.¡±


    It wasn''t until they reached the third floor that they began to notice signs of life. Makeshift barricades had been erected and there were drag marks all over the floors.


    Someone had been shoring up defenses.


    The guards on the fourth floor eyed them warily, checking for injuries before cautiously waving them forward. Jinyoung had expected them to remove their weapons, but no effort was made. In fact, every person they passed on their way up carried a weapon be it a sword, mace, or axe.


    They¡¯re all armed, he said.


    The party was observed with keen eyes. It looked like most of the survivors had been here for a while, weeks most likely.


    ¡°From what I could gather, the survivors here are from all over the barony,¡± Seunghyo explained. ¡°Some fled their homes to safehouses that turned out to be less than advertised. This is the second or third stop for most of these people.¡±


    The security and focus on being armed at all times made sense. Especially if you¡¯d already experienced your shelter being raided just weeks or days earlier.


    ¡°It looks like the barony was using the fifth floor as a research station,¡± Seunghyo continued. ¡°The rest of the building was pretty much empty until the survivors moved in.¡±


    Seunghyo stopped another survivor and whispered to her. The woman, a short rogue with flaxen hair mumbled something back and pointed down the corridor.


    Moment of truth, Hana said.


    Now on the sixth floor, the party moved through the wide open space. It was populated with makeshift living quarters and a small kitchen. At most, there were thirty survivors living here although it looked like they could pick up and scatter at a moment¡¯s notice.


    They passed by a handful of onlookers before stopping in front a small crew of haggard older players.eyes as they moved through. Some of the survivors were asleep, but others were huddled in groups whispering with hushed voices. Not all the survivors were players, Jinyoung realized. Some were young, younger than he was when he went into the Black Shrine. While everyone was armed, it was evident which weren¡¯t used to carrying weapons by the way they carried themselves.


    Just ahead, a wall was covered with makeshift maps while a group of older men grumbled to one another.


    Seunghyo brought the party to a stop just in front of the group who slowly turned to face the newcomers.


    Hana said it almost like a whisper, Jinyoung, it¡¯s him.


    He was shorter than Jinyoung remembered. Or maybe that was just his imagination.


    Or maybe it was just his imagination. His hair had long-since grayed and when he turned around, he could see the deep set wrinkles around the man¡¯s eyes.


    The old man had always worn leather armor, he preferred it to chain or plate mail as it allowed him flexibility. And, of course, he didn¡¯t wield any weapons like monks were known to do. He only had the cloth wraps around his hands which barely hid the scars.


    Youngho¡¯s eyes slid right over Jinyoung and fixed directly on Hana.


    ¡°Hana?¡± He had barely croaked out the words before Hana rushed up and hugged her father. Willow stepped back to allow the family some semblance of space. When Jinyoung attempted to do the same, he felt Seunghyo behind him.


    ¡°Not so fast.¡±


    There was a moment where Hana forgot the stress of where they were and what they were doing. Where she was a child again, safe in her father¡¯s arms. The moment was there, then it passed.


    Youngho saw the change come over his daughter and his face darkened. ¡°What?¡±


    The old man''s eyes scanned the remaining three people before him. He bowed politely at Willow and when he finally recognized Seunghyo, his face broke into concern, but he gave him an approving nod.


    Youngho thought to nod at the third stranger, but something stopped him. Enough that he paused and moved to take a closer look.


    One moment, Youngho¡¯s countenance was wrinkled with effort before recognition struck and his expression broke. ¡°God, boy¡­is that you?¡±

 The Lies We Hold Dear (11)

    Willow stepped back. The family reunion had gone about as well as she¡¯d expected. Neither sibling spoke of their relationship with their father in detail, but it had come up enough that she could feel the apprehension.


    Whereas Hana had hugged her father, Jinyoung simply stood there like a statue. He hadn¡¯t even introduced himself, he just waited until their father recognized him. Then gruffly spat out, ¡°Old man.¡±


    Meanwhile, the survivors were beginning to take notice of the awkward reunion.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Willow coughed politely. ¡°Maybe we should take this somewhere more private?¡±


    Seunghyo smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡±


    The pathfinder led them to another stairwell heading up to the seventh floor. Hana and her father walked up arm in arm while Jinyoung had a grim expression set on his face.


    Willow moved to follow when Seunghyo held up a hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be indelicate, but this is a family matter and¡­¡±


    Her face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re right.¡±


    Seunghyo flashed her a sad smile and continued up behind the others leaving Willow, for the first time in several days, alone.


    The other survivors on the floor were mumbling amongst themselves now. And while it might¡¯ve been her imagination, Willow didn¡¯t like the way they looked at her.


    I¡¯d better keep moving, she thought to herself. But where?


    The last thing Willow wanted to do was follow the others up immediately after she agreed to give them space. Hana had gotten her this far, the least she could do was give her space to deal with family matters.


    Instead, Willow took the stairs leading down to the fifth floor where Seunghyo had mentioned a research station. At the very least, she could scout some intel while the others were busy with personal matters.


    The fifth floor was a sea of workstations. It was odd seeing so many computers at a time when they were a premium.


    Willow moved to the nearest computer and tapped a key, hoping that maybe there was enough power here to run some of the computer. But each computer sat lifelessly no matter how many keys she pressed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be wanting to head into the basement for that, cher,¡± a voice called out.


    Willow turned to see a man standing two arm¡¯s lengths from her. Close enough that she should¡¯ve heard him approach. The fact that she didn¡¯t made her nervous.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°No need to apologize,¡± he responded, waving an arm out at the sea of computers. ¡°It¡¯s not like any of this is mine,¡±


    Willow struggled not to show fear. The man was dressed warmly, but a pair of wicked daggers were sheathed in holsters at his hip. Judging by his dress and choice in weapons, he was rogue.


    ¡°What, may I ask, are you doing here?¡± he asked politely.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m just waiting for my party. They¡¯re upstairs and-¡±


    The man¡¯s laughter stopped Willow cold. Not that it sounded strange, but the laughter itself was strange.


    Willow had met several rogue class players in the past. And she was always unnerved by their eyes. Many who chose the rogue classes focused on perception skills that enhanced their vision by allowing them to spot targets at a distance or see in the dark.


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s now what I mean, cher. I mean, what are you doing here?¡±


    The hairs on the back of Willow¡¯s neck stood up on their ends. Whatever this was, it wasn¡¯t a situation she wanted to be in.


    Slowly, she began to back away before the man clicked his tongue and shook his head.


    ¡°I meant no offense, but it¡¯s not every day someone like me meets a princess.¡±


    Willow felt the blood freeze in her veins.


    The man continued. ¡°It is you, isn¡¯t it miss Cha Hae-in?¡±


    Before she could react, the man stretched out an arm and Willow saw immediately that she was in danger. The shadows around her likewise stretched out and wrapped in her darkness. The solid floor beneath her dissolved and she felt herself fall backwards, deeper and deeper until she was surrounded by the inky black.


    Sunbae!


    ***


    Jinyoung leaned against the wall, keeping a distance between himself and his adoptive father. Hana had tried explaining how they came to find him, but the old man was having trouble understanding. Meanwhile, Seunghyo kept watch at the stairwell so they could have some privacy.


    Youngho pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. ¡°Wait, start over again.¡±


    He¡¯s not getting it, Hana.


    Hana drew in a breath and started over again. ¡°You were up here about three months ago when you received an SOS, right? After the Player Society tasked you with investigating, they sent another team to patrol the borderlands. When they got your SOS-¡±


    ¡°My SOS?¡± Young interrupted.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hana nodded. ¡°When they got your SOS, they requested backup which is when Seunghyo¡¯s team arrived. After they went missing, Seah tasked us with coming in.¡±


    ¡°And you believed that?¡± her father shouted.


    The siblings traded looks.


    ¡°No,¡± Jinyoung replied. ¡°A lot of this hasn¡¯t added up since we arrived, but we¡¯re piecing it together as we go along.¡±


    Youngho shook his head and glared at Jinyoung. ¡°You came here chasing your tails without a clue as to what¡¯s really going on.¡±


    Jinyoung took a breath. It was as if he¡¯d never left.


    The last conversation he remembered having with Youngho was a shouting match about Jinyoung¡¯s plans for after the Academy. Youngho had expected him to stay behind and help train Hana, but Jinyoung yearned to make his mark in the world.


    Things had been so different with Hana, he just assumed it would be the same with the old man.


    He had been wrong.


    ¡°Look, old man, we came here to help you and the survivors get out. But maybe we should¡¯ve once we found Seunghyo.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you should have,¡± Youngho shot back. ¡°At least then, you wouldn¡¯t have dragged your sister into this dangerous situation!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who wanted to come here!¡± he shouted back. ¡°I would¡¯ve left you here, old man! And if you didn¡¯t want anyone coming, why¡¯d you send out that SOS?!¡±


    Youngho grit his teeth and sucked in a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been trying to say, boy. I never sent out an SOS.¡±


    In the moment that followed, silence reigned. Jinyoung quickly tried to remember what turn of events had led them to believe Youngho had sent out an SOS. It made little sense that Youngho would send out an SOS to begin with. It was more likely the crotchety old bastard would die fighting his way out of danger.


    The only reason they had believed it to begin with was-


    Shit.


    Slowly, Jinyoung and Hana turned back to face Seunghyo. Hoping that he would have an explanation or some logical reason.


    Instead, they were greeted by the sight of the pathfinder holding his bow with an arrow notched and aimed directly at them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hana.¡±

 The Lies We Hold Dear (12)

    The silence in the room was deafening.


    Seunghyo''s face was devoid of emotion as he held the bow steadily trained on Jinyoung. In one second, he had gone from a trusted traveling companion to a stone-faced threat.


    Jinyoung knew that if it was hard for him to accept the reality of the situation, it was worse for his sister.


    He heard Youngho speak behind him. "Put the bow down, son. Whatever it is, I''m sure we can work it out."


    It was hard to tell if Seunghyo even heard him. He didn''t blink or shift his weight or give any sign that he had heard his former father-in-law''s words. While Hana and Youngho were both fighter class players, Jinyoung wasn''t. They might be able to take a direct hit and walk away, chances were any attack at this range was fatal for him.


    The only good thing was that they were at relatively close range. Seunghyo was only five or six meters from Jinyoung, which meant the others were only one or two meters further behind him.


    Hana, at this range, he''ll only be able to get one shot off before you and the old man are on him.


    He waited for a response, but none came. He tried to match Seunghyo¡¯s stare and not give away himself or his plan.


    The old man''ll follow your lead, Jinyoung continued. So move as soon as you see me [dash]-


    Jinyoung, Hana interrupted. Seunghyo is a pathfinder which means he has perception skills. If you try to [dash], he''ll see it before you can execute your skill and shoot you through the heart.


    I can do this, Hana.


    No, you can¡¯t.


    Jinyoung felt a chill creep up his spine and did his best not to shiver. This whole time, Seunghyo had stared straight at him almost dispassionately. As if he weren¡¯t a person, but a lifeless target. It was unnerving. And the longer Jinyoung held the pathfinder¡¯s gaze, the more he itched to move. To simply [dash] out of the way and tackle him down.


    And he would have. If not for a faint shout that both Hana and Jinyoung heard clearly.


    Sunbae!


    The silence after spoke volumes. Neither sibling needed to say a word, in clan chat or otherwise, to understand what had to happen next.


    Jinyoung held his hands up, palms forward. ¡°Okay, Seunghyo. What¡¯s next?¡±


    Seunghyo removed their weapons and walked them up two more flights of stairs. There were no other survivors up this way, but even unarmed, it would¡¯ve been easy to overpower Seunghyo. Except, someone had certainly taken Willow and Seunghyo most certainly knew that.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    On the eighth floor, Seunghyo marched the three of them out the fire escape into the cold outside. It was especially chilly given the betrayal they had all faced. Hana was particularly grim as her ex-husband directed them across narrow bridges going rooftop to rooftop.


    Once they had left the survivor¡¯s camp far enough behind, Seunghyo stopped the party and called out.


    ¡°Henry, we¡¯re here.¡±


    There was no response. At least not in words. Instead, a shadow stretched out from the nearest structure and wrapped itself around Hana, Jinyoung and Youngho.


    The last thing they heard was Seunghyo call out a warning. ¡°Watch your step.¡±


    ***


    Willow tried not to cry out in shock when the three familiar shapes tumbled out of the shadows and landed on the ground in front of her.


    Hana stood up and quickly took stock of her surroundings. Jinyoung was up a second later using [scan] to look for dangers or, more importantly, Seunghyo and his comrade Henry. Their father stood up more slowly, mumbling about knees and unruly rogues.


    Somehow, the party had moved from the industrial district of Pyong-gang to a lab facility. The clean floors and walls reminded Jinyoung of the halls they had seen when they first arrived in the north. Except the computers blinked with active power and the room they were in was actively lit instead of dimly lit with emergency lighting.


    Jinyoung squinted his eyes and tried to think. ¡°How the hell did we get here?¡±


    ¡°[Shadowstep],¡± Youngho grumbled.


    Willow nodded in realization. [Shadowstep] was a rogue skill learned by higher level players. It was a useful skill that allowed a player to enter a shadow at one point and emerge from another. Generally, players used it to move quickly from cover to cover but Willow had never heard of it being used to kidnap or teleport players.


    An accented voice called out. ¡°Good eye, sir. I guess nothing accounts for experience.¡±


    A man stepped out of the shadows followed silently by Seunghyo.


    The man walked forward and bowed. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself, I am Henry Vilais, Senior Operations Lead at the Cha Bell Corporation.¡±


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hana flinch. The man smiled thinly.


    ¡°I see you know of us, Shield Knight of the Blade. Of course, we haven¡¯t personally met, but my colleagues at Cha Bell have informed me of your history with our company.¡±


    ¡°Is that what this is all about?¡± Hana shot back.


    The man put a pained look on his face. ¡°Madame, banish the thought. I speak for the company when I say our books are settled. This has nothing to do with you or the young lady.¡±


    Young lady? Jinyoung thought. Willow?


    All this talking in circles had ground on Youngho¡¯s nerves. The initial shock of encountering his children and the anger of Seunghyo¡¯s betrayal had chilled his blood. Now he was experiencing that grand emotion that all men of his age seethed upon: annoyance.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell us what the hell we¡¯re doing here then?¡± he shouted.


    Henry smiled. This was more fun than he had expected. All the days spent huddling in the cold had been worth it now.


    ¡°I would tell you, but it isn¡¯t really for me to say is it?¡± he replied. Instead of walking back into the shadows, he made his way to the door and opened it. ¡°I¡¯ll let ¡®Hyo explain it to you. After all, he¡¯s the one who brought you into this mess.¡±


    The man walked off while the door slowly swung back and closed behind him.


    Slowly, four pairs of eyes turned and put their gaze on Seunghyo who returned each gaze before stopping on Hana¡¯s.


    ¡°I need your help.¡±

 The Lies We Hold Dear (13)

    It felt like a haze. An all-encompassing fuzziness in her body and mind.


    There were monsters that affected you like this. Hana had fought against a few herself when she was fighting through dark dungeons. The last time had been with Johann, Seah, and Cyrus.


    They came across a group of wispy, ghost-like monsters. They shot out pin darks, not bigger than thorns you¡¯d find on a vine.


    She remembered she¡¯d been careless. A pin barely scratched her cheek, but it had been enough. The venom took effect quickly and slowed her movements.


    The rest of the party had to stop and make camp. It took a few hours for her to recover from the effects. Cyrus started a small fire and boiled tea while Johann told funny stories. All the while, Hana lay down on the cavern floor with her head in Seah lap.


    ¡°Hana?¡±


    Seunghyo entered the room carefully. There wasn¡¯t much here besides the bed Hana had slept on, a chair, and a table. They¡¯d been lucky to find a place to stay after most of the area had been evacuated. Most of the people in the area had fled once word of the Outbreak got out with only a handful choosing to stay behind.


    By the time he was able to get Hana out of the battlefield, word had already begun to spread. But so too had word about the two young players who had been lost in the field. And their connection to the Cha Bell Corporation.


    Hana¡¯s voice was hoarse. It sounded so unlike her that it caught him off guard.


    ¡°I know one of them made it out. But the others¡­ They¡¯re dead, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The Society¡¯s intel on the dungeon had been simple. A recently formed dungeon with the potential for resources and, in all likelihood, low-risk monsters. And while there were plenty of resources, the dungeon had been years old and filled to the brim with high-level monsters.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known¡­"


    There was no way for Hana to have known the danger involved. Seunghyo tried his best to explain it to her, but she waved him off.


    ¡°They were my responsibility, Seunghyo. And they¡¯re dead.¡±


    Hana sighed. She could feel the ache in her muscles. With every passing second, the fogginess in her head grew stronger and it felt like her limbs had only grown heavier.


    She rubbed her hands together and winced in pain. Hana looked down in surprise to see wounds on her hands and fingers. The ones on her palms were grip burns, usually from holding on to weapons for long periods of time. Most players called them ¡°newbie cuts¡± because younger players were most prone to these injuries. Older players either grew calluses to prevent these small injuries or wrapped their hands and fingers with tape before entering battle.


    Hana hadn¡¯t wrapped her hands because she hadn¡¯t expected a fight. Not during an expeditionary quest like the one she¡¯d started two days ago. And she hadn¡¯t prepared her party for the same reason.


    And now two people are dead.


    So lost in thought was she that she didn¡¯t notice Seunghyo put her hands in his. She only noticed because of the warmth of his skin on hers.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    He tried to sound as reassuring as he could. ¡°I¡¯m here, Hana. And I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ***


    Seunghyo tried not to look at Hana while he spoke. He felt enough shame as it was, to look at her would only cause him to stop or apologize. And he knew well enough that he had no right to do so.


    ¡°The barony was interested in opening gates in order to create dungeons,¡± he said. ¡°And they succeeded for a while. Their success led to more ambition until their ambition led to everything you¡¯ve seen so far.¡±


    Initial tests had created short lived gates that disappeared with time. Occasionally, there would be slight incursions or some low-level monsters, but as the gates closed on their own, the danger was low.


    The barony had built a foundation for future experiments as well as confidence in their work.


    Subsequent tests created large gates that opened for longer periods of time. The longest had been for five weeks and the barony tasked multiple players with dealing with the monsters that emerged from its depths. But, then there came a monster that was able to infect other monsters.


    ¡°Frostbite,¡± Jinyoung ventured.


    Seunghyo nodded. ¡°The research we found says that the barony encountered a human-like monster from a gate. They killed the monster, but not before it bit one of their players. When the player started to exhibit symptoms that matched the monster, they started studying him.¡±


    ¡°¡®Bites¡¯?¡± Willow asked. ¡°But none of the facilities we passed through had signs of a struggle.¡±


    Youngho grunted. ¡°We had the same thought. But we found the emergency bunkers.¡±


    The emergency bunkers were designed to be long-lasting and well-hidden. Only citizens of the barony had access and when the barons themselves realized how far reaching the infection had gone, they ordered their citizens to take shelter.


    ¡°What they didn¡¯t realize was that the infection has a long incubation time,¡± Youngho explained. ¡°These emergency bunkers were warm beds for the infected until they were ready.¡±


    Jinyoung winced at the thought.


    ¡°Then, like any good government,¡± Seunghyo continued. ¡°They made it worse.¡±


    Researchers tried to create a cure. And when they couldn¡¯t, they opened gates to dungeons to look for a cure. Eventually, they happened across another symbiotic creature that showed great resistance to the Frostbite infection.


    The pathfinder continued, ¡°They found the sin wraiths.


    ¡°The reports say they lost eight players taking down one sin wraith, but the scientists realized they needed to take a sample from a living sin wraith. And that¡¯s where they lost control.¡±


    ¡°Lost control?¡± Willow retorted. ¡°That thing nearly killed the four of us!¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s four more where it came from,¡± Youngho revealed. ¡°They hunt around this area at night which is why we can¡¯t get out of here.¡±


    The party thought back to the survivors. Most of them had been players, but some had been civilians not to mention any injured. While the healthy ones would be able to make the trek out before the sun set, the others wouldn¡¯t make it.


    Seunghyo bit his lip. It all led to this and if they refused to help him, everything would be for naught.


    ¡°From what we can tell, the dungeon gate is still open in the research facility under Pyong-gang. We¡¯re on the upper floors of it now. But the longer the gate is open, the more likely it is to let something else through.¡±


    Seunghyo took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been tasked with making my way down to the gate, closing the gate, retrieving a sample, and then returning to the surface.¡±


    Willow spoke up first. ¡°Well, we¡¯d have to close the gate if we want to evacuate the survivors, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Hana¡¯s voice cut through the conversation like a knife. ¡°Willow can¡¯t come with us, can we?¡±


    Jinyoung and Willow cast a sideways glance at Hana before looking at Seunghyo who nodded. ¡°The Cha Bell Corporation will not allow it.¡±


    ¡°The Cha Bell Corporation?¡± Jinyoung asked with disdain dripping from every word. ¡°What the hell do they have to do with this?¡±


    Youngho sighed. ¡°They were the ones funding the barony, weren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hana spoke up again, her voice laced with venom. When Seunghyo heard her question, he closed his eyes. It was the question he had hoped she would never ask.


    ¡°Seunghyo, you work for the Cha Bell Corporation, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 The Lies We Hold Dear (14)

    Henry was so close he could taste it.


    After months of planning, he would soon reap the rewards of his hard work.


    If he listened closely, he could make out Seunghyo¡¯s slow breathing while his heart beat out of his chest. The fool had played his part perfectly, even if he didn¡¯t realize it.


    When the corporation tasked Henry with this mission, he chose his team carefully along with a backup team. While Seunghyo had proven himself worthy in many respects, it was obvious to all who knew him that he wasn¡¯t the caliber of player the corporation normally invited into their ranks.


    The men and women Henry fought with prized power over all else. In comparison, Seunghyo was weak.


    But in the end, Seunghyo was the only one to survive. And he would be the reason that the Cha Bell Corporation could finally put the partnership with the north behind them.


    Over the years, the northern barony¡¯s overzealous research and discoveries were met by more annoyance than approval by the Cha Bell Corporation. His corporate overlords secretly wondered if their investments were worth the trouble. That is, until reports of the Frostbitten reached their desks. And then, there was ¡®sin¡¯.


    The shadow walker took a moment to observe his surroundings. By his estimate, the catwalk under his feet was about 40 meters underground. Far enough that he could still see the shield doors above his head. Below he could see the wide, perfectly circular cavern go another 40 meters further still.


    The silo had been designed to launch something big, but it sat empty at the moment. More than likely, the weapon it was meant to house and potentially launch had never been built. But Henry liked to imagine that somewhere nearby, there was a weapon of unimaginable destruction just waiting to be discovered.


    While he would have preferred to explore other sites, he had spent the past month learning every inch of this one. The upper floors had research stations and data processing centers while the deeper levels housed processing labs. Deeper still, at the base of the missile silo were secured facilities which housed among many things, the open gate guarded by four very angry sin wraiths.


    Henry smiled.


    For weeks, he looked for a way to get past the wraiths. Henry spent sleepless nights watching the facility, inside and out learning the monsters¡¯ habits. While the monsters left the facility at night to hunt above ground, one or two always stayed behind to guard the gate.


    The last time he attempted to get past them, Seunghyo and the entirety of his team paid the price. Two others had survived the initial encounter but eventually succumbed to their injuries.


    Henry still remembered the day he awoke to find that Seunghyo had slipped away.


    Maybe Seunghyo really had left to find help. Or maybe he was planning on heading south when he ran into his ex-wife. Regardless of the reason, the boy had returned and brought help along with him.


    And, in the process, he brought together everything Henry needed to complete his plan.


    For Henry, the north was freedom. There was no Player Society to answer to and his employers at the Cha Bell corporation didn''t care how he dealt with obstacles so long as he completed their objectives. Even if the obstacles happened to be other people.


    Henry smiled and breathed in deep. He was almost sorry to leave, but victory would taste so sweet. Corporate had promised riches and influence beyond his means.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    He had struggled, tooth and nail, to pull himself forward. And now, with this one job, he could make a major leap forward.


    It seemed ridiculous now, but in the early days of the Break, rogues were considered a support class. The majority of early skills were geared towards perception or movement. This allowed players to scout and map out dungeons or move quickly through dangerous regions.


    Unlike fighters, they had no close quarters offensive skills and they lacked the range of sharpshooters or scholars.


    Instead, rogues had access to three passive skills: [warmth], [dark sight] and [second step].


    Henry smiled at the thought. He¡¯d spent so many years killing that he¡¯d forgotten how his career had started.


    Henry had adopted quickly to his role. [Warmth] increased resistance to all non-physical attacks or effects from poison to the arcane. It even made him warmer in cold environments. [Second step] was a simple skill that made him faster and quieter while [dark sight] improved his night vision.


    Above his head, the blast doors remained shut but he could hear the air outside. A slight rustle told him that the wind had picked up, dropping the temperature a few more degrees below freezing. Henry continued walking down across the catwalk and down the set of stairs leading deeper into the dark.


    The control room was emptier than he imagined. There was plenty of machinery covered in a thin layer of dust, but the dim glow from the control panels told him all he needed. Beyond the control room was the base of the silo where the soft unnatural glow of the gate threw wavering shadows across the walls.


    Then he heard it.


    Shraak¡­


    A low shriek coming from outside the control room. Then another.


    Something had clearly sensed his presence. Henry stopped and waited.


    The wraiths slowly moved along the catwalk outside and Henry stepped sideways into the shadows. Eyes that didn''t see scanned their surroundings and passed over the spot Henry stood. As a shadow walker, this was his environment. Years of experience allowed him to melt into the inky black shadows, enough that most monsters never saw him there.


    But these things clearly knew he was near. Their heads bobbed and their stance grew more aggressive.


    "You can''t see me, but you know I''m here, don''t you?" he whispered.


    If they heard him, the monsters didn¡¯t react.


    This was the furthest that Henry had ever ventured.


    The intel he had gathered told him his prize lay just beyond, in a laboratory located near the gate itself. But the gate, and the wraiths, stood between him and his prize.


    After a moment, the wraiths moved out of view and Henry brought his attention back to the panel in front of him. A few swift taps and the screen slowly came to life.


    Launch control.


    Root access¡­ granted.


    It had been ages since Henry used a computer, but he was surprised at how quickly it came back to him. The system was clearly designed in the 80¡¯s, but it was relatively easy to operate. It was only a few seconds before he found what he was looking for.


    Launch pad controls¡­ operational.


    (No armament found on lock)


    Access maintenance protocols (Y/N).... Y


    Maintenance protocols¡­


    <ul style="text-align: center">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Payload assembly (non-operational)</li>


    </ul>


    <ul style="text-align: center">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Security access (non-operational)</li>


    </ul>


    <ul style="text-align: center">


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Duct maintenance (non-operational)</li>


    </ul>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center">Shield doors (operational)</li>


    </ul>


    Henry smiled in satisfaction, a wicked and savage smile.


    ¡°Too easy.¡±


    Shield doors¡­ selected.


    Operational parameters accepted.


    WARNING. Operating the shield doors poses a danger to nearby personnel.


    Proceed (Y/N).... Y

 The Lies We Hold Dear (15)

    He¡¯s telling the truth, Hana.


    It was hard to tell what angered Hana more, the constant stream of lies or the fact that after all this time he was able to fool her so easily.


    Her hands shook so much she was forced to ball them into fists until her knuckles turned white. And even then, she was still shaking.


    The others waited in silence. There were five people in the room, but it was obvious to everyone that there were only two people in this conversation.


    ¡°You goddamned bastard.¡±


    ¡°Hana,¡± Youngho said calmly. ¡°We should hear him out, you came all this way-¡±


    ¡°For what?! More lies?!¡±


    Hana could still remember the day she had woken up to find her father seated next to her. The world outside had sung her praises and was busy building the legend of the Shield Knight of the Blade, while away from the prying eyes of the world she had grieved.


    The loss of two young lives on her conscience had been more than she could bear. The guilt grew until it overwhelmed her and she thought of little else. At her lowest moment, she reached out for Seunghyo only to realize he was gone.


    Even now, she didn¡¯t know how long she stayed in that room. It had taken weeks before she had stepped outside and weeks more before she spoke to anyone but her father.


    ¡°You know,¡± she whispered. ¡°There was a moment when I needed you, Seunghyo. More than anyone or anything else in this world.¡±


    Hana¡¯s voice grew louder as she tried to keep it steady.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t there,¡± she said, choking back a laugh. ¡°The worst part was for years after, I wondered if I had done something or maybe I just needed to be stronger. I blamed myself.


    ¡°And then I realized it wasn¡¯t me. It was you.¡±


    Hana walked closer and until they were so close she could reach out and grab him.


    Seunghyo kept his expression firm as his ex-wife leaned her face close to his.


    ¡°You¡¯re a coward.¡±


    Willow held her breath, trying not to make a sound as the drama played out before her. For a moment, it looked like Hana might reach out and strike Seunghyo but the moment thankfully passed. Instead, Hana quietly turned around and walked out of the room.


    She moved so swiftly that it took a moment before Jinyoung realized she had no plans to return. When he turned to follow, Seunghyo caught his arm.


    ¡°Give her a second.¡±


    Jinyoung pulled his arm away and clenched his fist.


    ¡°Just because I¡¯m willing to hear you out doesn¡¯t mean you should feel safe standing this close to me.


    ¡°Willow, keep an eye on him. I¡¯ll be right back-¡±


    Seunghyo interrupted him before he could finish. ¡°Before you go, you need to understand the stakes here. There are a horde of Frostbitten outside and an open gate guarded by sin wraiths, just one of which nearly killed the four of us we fought it in a contained area.¡±


    Something in his expression made Jinyoung flinch. ¡°That¡¯s not all, is it?¡±


    Seunghyo¡¯s expressions darkened. ¡°The research the scientists were doing here was¡­ disturbing. I¡¯ve only heard rumors, but they were developing weapons. Biological agents designed to kill monsters faster or make players stronger except¡­ all it did was turn people into monsters.¡±


    ¡°Jesus, this gets worse and worse.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Seunghyo replied. ¡°And we have a chance to stop it.¡±


    Realization dawned on Jinyoung. ¡°The other guy. Henry.¡±


    ¡°Just so. We were all sent in by the Cha Bell Corporation and tasked with rescuing any survivors along with any research.¡±


    ¡°You goddamned-¡±


    Firm hands gripped Jinyoung¡¯s shoulders before he could strike Seunghyo. ¡°We¡¯re not just going to help the survivors out there, we¡¯re going to destroy every goddamn shred of research down there.¡±

 The Lies We Hold Dear (16)

    The halls were dim, but a few lights there illuminated a singular pathway.


    Jinyoung walked quickly with Youngho keeping pace. Hana couldn¡¯t be far off, but they had yet to see any sign of her.


    The atrocities of the northern barony were all too clear now. Opening gates hadn¡¯t just unleashed the Frostbite on their own people, but it¡¯d exposed them to danger and widespread death.


    Not only that, but now they knew there were others out in the world who wanted to continue this research somewhere else. Regardless of anything else, they had to make sure that not a scrap of it made it out of the north.


    Youngho¡¯s voice broke the quiet silence and awakened Jinyoung from his thoughts. ¡°He¡¯s not a bad man, you know.¡±


    ¡°You mean Seunghyo?¡±


    Youngho nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re defending the guy who left Hana behind?¡± he countered. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    He looked at his adoptive father, but Youngho didn¡¯t return his gaze. The man just stared straight ahead.


    ¡°What do you know about expedition missions, boy?¡±


    It was a simple question, but Jinyoung hated the tone of the old man¡¯s voice. It was warm, inviting. But it was also condescending as hell.


    ¡°They¡¯re for newbies.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Youngho barked out a laugh. ¡°Of course that¡¯s what you¡¯d think. But what else?¡±


    Youngho knew more than enough about expedition missions. He had planned on focusing on them when he graduated from the Academy. Most young and inexperienced players took them on so they could learn the ins and outs of dungeons. And he explained as much to Youngho.


    ¡°Right, you are. Then what about outbreaks?¡±


    Outbreaks were the polar opposite of expedition missions. Most players focused on moving quickly and silently during expeditions while the focus was on combat for outbreaks.


    Jinyoung felt the clamminess in his hands. The Seokrak Outbreak had been his first encounter with such a mission. He never told Willow or Hana, but the amount of combat was shocking. Especially in open ground.


    ¡°When Hana¡¯s mission went sideways¡­¡± Youngho¡¯s voice became hoarse at the thought of recounting what had happened. ¡°After those kids died and Hana¡­ well, she barely made it out herself. I went down as soon as I heard.¡±


    Jinyoung spoke the words before he recognized the thought that birthed them. ¡°And that dirtbag left her.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm. ¡°No? Hana told me he left her to deal with all this on her own-¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°There were two boys and a girl,¡± Youngho interrupted. ¡°They were maybe in their mid-twenties, kids really. Only one made it out, one of the boys I think.¡±


    Youngho struggled to think back.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know until later, but one of the ones who didn¡¯t make it out¡­ was related to the president of the Cha Bell Corporation. And uncle, I think.¡±


    Jinyoung sighed. The Cha Bell Corporation. Again.


    Before he went into the shrine, the corporations were a shadow of their current selves. But, even then, they were known to protect their own.


    The corporations were initially formed to provide support and stabilize the economy after the Break. But it wasn¡¯t long until they were peddling influence and amassing power. Today, some of them weren¡¯t more than gangs specializing in organized crime. And if gangs were known for one thing above all else, it was protecting their own.


    The loss of life, even a relative, wouldn¡¯t be taken lightly. The corporation would have demanded payment.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Youngho paused thoughtfully. At that moment, he felt old. Nothing weighed heavier on his shoulders than the secrets of others and this one was a heavy one.


    ¡°The Cha Bell Corporation put a bounty out on Hana,¡± he recounted. Word spread quickly among the less reputable caste of players, but Hana¡¯s recent fame as the Shield Knight of the Blade cast an aura of protection around her.


    ¡°Eventually Seunghyo tried to reach out to the president of the Cha Bell Corporation to work something out.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Jinyoung stared at the old man and waited for an answer.


    Youngho¡¯s voice sounded tired when he answered. ¡°Seunghyo got word that the president of the Cha Bell Corporation wanted to work out a deal. He asked me not to tell Hana until he came back, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But he never came back,¡± Jinyoung finished for him. ¡°And you never told Hana.¡±


    An emotion flickered across Youngho¡¯s face before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.


    Was that guilt or relief? Jinyoung thought to himself.


    Jinyoung had more to say, but he thought better of it. Every decision he¡¯d made in the name of getting stronger or quenching his curiosity had only led to more trouble. The wraith was the most recent example of that.


    He reached into his pockets and felt the Dragon¡¯s Hidden Scale and the Wrath¡¯s Shroud he¡¯d recovered earlier. Whatever was coming next, the shroud would doubtless come in handy. The item was unique as far as Jinyoung knew. And the effect it offered could change the tide of any fight.


    While he saw both items as trophies of his accomplishments, seeing the burns on Willow¡¯s hands had soured that. Now, he realized that his selfishness could easily get them killed.


    [Scan].


    ¡°She¡¯s just ahead,¡± Jinyoung said. ¡°If we pick up the pace, we¡¯ll catch up in a minute-¡±


    The lights of the hall flickered on. Not the emergency lights, but the bright fluorescent bulbs. All at once, the entire structure was completely lit, meaning Jinyoung could see every crack and broken tile. He hadn¡¯t noticed with the dim lighting, but the place looked like it was falling apart. The pipes were rusted over like the walls were crumbling. It was a wonder the place was still in one piece.


    Then, there was the hum. It started low and grew into a quiet rumble. Jinyoung looked at Youngho and the old man stared back. In a few seconds, it grew into a roar.


    Jinyoung tried yelling to be heard above the din, but he couldn¡¯t even hear himself.


    The ground beneath their feet shook and rubble rained down from the ceiling.


    A strong hand grabbed Jinyoung by the shoulder and forced him to move forward. He stumbled from the force of the shove and turned around to see Youngho following after him shouting one word that could barely be heard above the noise.


    Run.

 The Lies We Hold Dear (17)

    Willow tried not to stare at Seunghyo, but everything he had just said made her head spin. It wasn¡¯t just the betrayal of Hana¡¯s trust, but his specific mention of Willow that affected her so.


    ¡°The Cha Bell Corporation will not allow it,¡± he had said.


    Back in Seorak, when Seah first made mention of the corporations, Willow had been taken aback. She had done everything she could since entering the Academy to avoid the eye of corporate sponsors who scouted each class.


    Completing the hidden quest as a senior student at the Academy has spread her name far and wide, but Willow had avoided meetings and turned down every offer that came her way. In fact, she thought she¡¯d done a great job.


    But the fact that Seunghyo knew about her could only mean that his overseers knew about her too. Worse yet, the director¡¯s board at Cha Bell had to know not only who she was, but where she was.


    Sunbae, are you out there? We need to talk.


    There was no response. More than likely, the dense walls of the structure were preventing their communications from reaching one another. The System worked well above ground, but this far deep, there was no telling whether they¡¯d be able to communicate with each other through the Clan Chat.


    Willow¡¯s hands shook. She needed to contact her mother as soon as possible.


    She tried to calm herself down with deep breaths. But try as she might, she couldn¡¯t stop her hands from shaking. Then she realized her whole body was shaking. No, not her body. The entire structure she was standing in.


    It was a tremor. Faint, but unmistakable.


    She looked up at Seunghyo who was fully alert to the situation.


    His years as a pathfinder taught Seunghyo many lessons, the most important of which was to trust his instincts. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as his mind raced trying to explain the tremor. Within three seconds, his brain had come up with ten causes of the tremor and none of them were good.


    The tremor grew stronger until it was an undeniable rumble.


    ¡°Do you feel that?¡± Willow whispered.


    ¡°Quet,¡± Seunghyo hissed.


    Willow kept as still as she could. The shaking didn¡¯t grow any stronger, but it also didn¡¯t dissipate at all. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we move?¡±


    No answer.


    ¡°Are we waiting for something?¡±


    The response came quick and curt. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡±


    Seunghyo turned to face her slowly, but his eyes were darting from side to side. ¡°We are two stories underground in a rusting structure built with Soviet era slave labor. We are waiting to see which direction we have to run in.¡±


    A low hanging light crashed into the ground and shattered. A ceiling panel crashed down immediately, dumping decades of dust into the air.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Shit.


    Seunghyo moved swiftly, grabbing Willow by the arm and running for the door.


    ¡°Move!¡±


    The shaking turned so violent that Willow was nearly thrown off her feet. The walls bend at awkward angles and the floor beneath her feet shifted from side to side.


    Ceiling tiles fell and shattered on the floor as Seunghyo shoved Willow ahead of him and they made for the hallway.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Willow called out.


    She turned for a second to look behind and had a glimpse of the room they were just in shift down and disappear from view as rubble rained down from above.


    ¡°Anywhere, but here!¡± Seunghyo shouted back.


    ***


    Cyrus¡¯ insistence on accompanying the team to the north was met with a stern look. The kind that he would¡¯ve expected from his grandfather, but Seah¡¯s wasn¡¯t dissimilar. It was unnerving.


    But, eventually, she relented on the condition that Seah, herself, and Eunice the technomancer were allowed to accompany him.


    The journey had been uneventful and while Cyrus wanted to set up a base further beyond the border, Seah insisted on staying below the traditional border to the north. And while Cyrus attempted to argue with her, even he had to admit that the minefield along the border¡¯s edge presented an unnecessary danger.


    Scouts had moved back and forth across the border and reported little to no activity. A smaller team to the west found the train and its operator iced in. The train had made its way north easily enough, but after only a day, the tracks had iced over leaving it stranded.


    ¡°Will they be able to get the train out?¡± Seah asked.


    He scanned the report before answering. ¡°The train is already heading back across the border. It didn¡¯t get more than a few miles in, but the tracks leading back have iced over as well. It might take a day, but the operator and train are both fine.¡±


    Seah scanned the horizon. ¡°Good. We only have a handful of operational locomotives left. It¡¯d be a shame to lose another one.¡±


    In moments like these, Cyrus didn¡¯t know what to say to his wife. He¡¯d come to realize that Seah wasn¡¯t being cold, rather it was a distance. Not just from the matters at hand, but from Cyrus himself.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    Behind them a scout stood at attention. He wore a thick winter coat with heavy snow gloves. No doubt he just returned from an outing.


    Cyrus turned to face him. ¡°Anything to report?¡±


    The man¡¯s face was clouded with anxiety.


    Or is that fear? Cyrus wondered to himself.


    ¡°Y-yes, sir.  The man stammered. Something had him shaken. ¡°W-we¡¯ve spotted something, sir. You should come see it for yourself.¡±


    There was no shortage of mountains along the borderlands, but Cyrus has chosen this location carefully. The mountainside faced the north with a shallow valley separating them from opposing mountains on the other side of the border.


    The scout led the way to a hot air balloon erected not for travel, but to provide an elevated viewpoint. Once they were secured, a spellcaster summoned a flame which elevated them a thousand feet into the sky.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the secrecy?¡± Seah murmured.


    Cyrus nodded. He reminded himself to scold the scout later. Whatever it was, it should¡¯ve been reported before dragging Cyrus and Seah up into the sky.


    The scout pointed past the northern peaks to  a ruined structure. ¡°There, sir.¡±


    The north had long been abandoned before the barony came into power. From this high up, there was an array of abandoned structures and crumbling outposts.


    Cyrus squinted, but he didn¡¯t see anything of interest except a large herd of monsters. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything, scout. What are you-¡±


    His voice cracked when he recognized what he was looking at. What he thought to be a large herd of monsters was a massive sea of people. They walked so slowly that they appeared to be a river or a dust cloud from this distance.


    ¡°Hand me a viewfinder,¡± Seah commanded.


    The mage retrieved one and, with shaky hands, handed it to her.


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± she whispered. ¡°How-¡±


    ¡°Sir!¡± the scout shouted.


    The man pointed into the distance, further north. Smoke billowed into the sky. ¡°A fire, sir.¡±


    The reaction rippled through the horde below. Hundreds of heads turned to face the direction of the fire and the sea of people moved towards the stimuli.

 Authors Note: Cradle of Ice

    Hello again,


    First and foremost, thank you to everyone who''s read this far in the story. I can''t believe there are folks who come in and read my story every week for... wow. It''s been over 6 months now.


    On the one hand, I''ve been writing this story for a bit longer than I expected. But on the other hand, this is awesome.


    I had a much shorter set of arcs written up leading me to this point in the story. But as I actually started to type everything out, I realized that there was a lot more to explore with the characters and there were plot points I wanted to seed earlier than I had initially planned.


    For example, Willow originally played a much smaller part in early drafts. Her identity and who she is wouldn''t be explored until a much later part of the story which (after reading through once) I realized was a mistake. She has a lot more to offer the story, especially due to her family and relationship with them.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The Hana and Jinyoung storyline is progressing much like I had originally planned out. There was always going to be conflict between the two of them and bringing that to the forefront was always the focus of the early story. Now, however, we''ve gotten to a point where Jinyoung has hopefully realized how much of Hana''s life he has missed out on and the reality of the situation he is in.


    Youngho was always going to be a character who I wanted to show from the early part of the story, but I''ve held off because his presence is a polarizing force. Hana obviously cares a great deal for her father while Jinyoung''s relationship with him is much more complicated. Having him introduced too early introduces even more conflict between the siblings while having him introduced too late would ruin the pacing.


    More than anything, I''m happy to be at this part of the story because... action. I love the action scenes in this story more than anything else and now we''re at the point when everything is coalescing. Henry''s plan is in full motion even if it hasn''t been introduced to the reader in its entirety and everyone''s going to have to deal with the aftermath.


    The story picks back up on Wednesday with Cradle of Ice (1). I''ll see you all then.


    Best,


    songdraws

 Cradle of Ice (1)

    The shaking felt like it lasted for an eternity, but really it was ten minutes. The blast doors were built over five decades ago and while the northern barony took some steps to maintain the silo underneath, the doors were left undisturbed for over half a century.


    Rusted machinery and failing systems prevented the doors from sliding open completely, but it was enough collapse most of buildings in Pyong-gang and the leave the small city in ruins. From their vantage point, it was impossible to see any details, but one thing made Seunghyo¡¯s blood run cold.


    ¡°On, no,¡± he whispered.


    He sprinted full-tilt towards the city with Willow struggling to keep up behind him.


    Trees whizzed by as the two of them stumbled and skidded down the frozen mountainside. Willow gave a quiet thanks for the thick winter coat, otherwise she would¡¯ve been cut to ribbons by the icy branches and sharp stones.


    When they finally reached the city, it was chaos. Most of the structures had toppled over including a machinist¡¯s workshop which had caught fire.


    But most alarming was the thirty Frostbitten running through the city.


    Seunghyo drew an arrow and notched his bow, ¡°Move!¡±


    Willow instinctively moved towards the nearest rubble of buildings and looked for any signs of life. When she didn¡¯t find any, she moved on to the next building while Seunghyo moved from cover to cover keeping an eye out for hostiles.


    The wreckage everywhere made it difficult to spot any survivors. But it also made it difficult to see the Frostbitten. Willow could hear them though, the scratching and chaotic scuffing of feet against the frozen ground.


    Then she spotted the man. His legs were hidden under a chunk of concrete but his torso and arms were uncovered. She ran to his side and scanned their surroundings. No signs of the Frostbitten.


    ¡°Hey, can you hear me?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t respond. Willow held her fingers against his neck and felt a pulse. Strong. There weren¡¯t any serious injuries aside from scrapes on his face and hands. His legs were pinned under the concrete, but it looked like the rubble around him had taken the brunt of the impact. Quickly, Willow got to work moving as much of the rubble away from him as possible.


    While she worked, the man stirred and his eyes blinked to life.


    ¡°Sir, can you hear me?¡±


    The man grunted in response. She could see he was flexing his hands and slowly coming back to consciousness. Instinctively, the man reached to his side for a weapon that was no longer there.


    Willow searched the ground and found a bow, two feet away but it had been snapped in half. The man spotted it too and tried to reach for it.


    She shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re okay, but I need to get you out of here.¡±


    The man tried to speak and mumbled something about the ground shifting, but Willow shushed him.


    ¡°We need to move this concrete slab off your legs, okay? But I¡¯m not strong enough to push it on my own, so I¡¯m going to need your help.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Willow held her breath until the man nodded.


    ¡°Okay, good. Ready? One, two, three¡­!¡±


    On her count, the man pressed his hands against the concrete and shoved as hard as he could. Willow likewise braced her feet and pushed hard her shoulder. The weight shifted, but only slightly and not enough to free the trapped man.


    Willow tried to focus on pushing, but another part of her mind was focused on listening for signs of the Frostbitten. Here and there, she could hear more feet and the sounds of a commotion around her.


    Finally, after an eternity of pushing inches, the entirety of the slab shifted off the man¡¯s legs and fell over. When it landed, it sounded like a thunderclap.


    ¡°Shit¡­!¡±


    Willow stood up and readied herself. She could hear the scrambling sounds of hands and feet closeby. The first Frostbitten cleared the rubble just ahead of her and slid down towards her.


    ¡°[Arcane shot]!¡±


    The beam arced out and struck the pale, armored woman in the face. The impact knocked her off her feet and she landed on her neck with a sickening crunch.


    Behind her, the man struggled to his feet until, with a groan, he stood up on his feet.


    Willow turned to check on him and that was her mistake. When turned forward again, there were two more Frostbitten racing towards her with a white glean in their eyes.


    ¡°[Arcane-]!¡±


    Before she could finish casting her spell, two arrows pierced her attacker¡¯s skulls leaving wide holes in each. The bodies slid down the rubble and landed a few feet from her.


    Just behind her, Seunghyo pulled two more arrows from his quiver and notched them on his bow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there!¡±


    Willow quickly took the man¡¯s shoulder and they hobbled towards the pathfinder as quickly as they could. Other players were starting to awaken from the initial shock of the destruction and make their way out of the structures where the Frostbitten were waiting for them.


    They could only watch in horror as survivors stumbled out half collapsed structures only to immediately be set upon by undead monsters.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Seunghyo shouted. He took aim and cut down two more Frostbitten from a distance.


    Every structure that she could see was severely damaged. Either so much that there was no safe way to enter or so much that it could completely collapse at any moment.


    ¡°Where the hell are we going?¡± Willow shouted back.


    ¡°W-west¡­¡± the man mumbled. ¡°We need to head west.¡±


    ¡°Not south?¡± Willow questioned.


    The man shook his head. ¡°N-no¡­ the horde is south. Th-that¡¯d be s-suicide.¡±


    Horde. South. Good to know.


    Behind them Seunghyo followed at pace, firing volleys at anything pale that moved.


    ¡°Keep moving,¡± he shouted back at them. ¡°I¡¯ll cover you!¡±


    Ahead, two more players stumbled out of a half collapsed building. They both stopped to catch their breath when Willow saw it. ¡°Behind you!¡±


    A Frostbitten turned the corner and saw the two players. It raised its head and let out a screeching cry before sprinting at the two players.


    ¡°[Frost]!¡±


    The monster¡¯s leg was immediately encased in ice. The thing stumbled and fell, sliding along the floor before clawing at its leg. Willow knew from experience that the spell didn¡¯t cause any damage, but it would buy time.


    One of the players drew a heavy hammer and closed the distance to the Frostbitten before rearing back bringing down the mighty weapon on the monster¡¯s head.


    ¡°Thanks for the assist!¡±


    Willow turned back and though she couldn¡¯t see him, she could hear tiny pops and explosions as Seunghyo fought off another group of monsters.


    She motioned at one of the players to help her with the injured man.


    ¡°Take him and head west. If you run into anyone along the way, make sure you get them out of there,¡± she ordered.


    The injured man nodded his thanks. He unhooked a long case from his thigh and tossed it to Willow.


    ¡°For your friend,¡± he choked out.

 Cradle of Ice (2)

    ¡°Behind you!¡± Hana shouted.


    Jinyoung whirled and brought his sword up just in time to deflect a claw. The wraith was dangerously close to ripping him open. He countered with a slash but it was wide, he was too slow to react and the wraith easily moved out of the way.


    The catwalks were narrow and restricted his and Hana¡¯s movements while the wraiths could leap from catwalk to catwalk giving them the ability to engage and disengage at will. He glared as the wraith backed off and easily leapt down to the catwalk below.


    Worse still, Hana and Jinyoung had to keep their distance from each other so they didn¡¯t accidentally hit one another while facing off against their respective opponents.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight them here!¡±


    It was chaos. The damned wraiths could move quickly and used the railings, walkways, even the walls to leap around the confined space. All the while, Jinyoung kept his eyes trained on his opponent, doing his best to keep his sword up and in a defensive position.


    He moved sideways just in time to dodge a thrust and spun around cutting deep into the monster¡¯s ribs before kicking it back with all the force he could muster.


    To his credit, the wraith flew back into the concrete wall. But it immediately stood back upright before dashing back in.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the old man?¡± he called out.


    Hana pointed to the catwalk above them where Youngho was dealing with two wraiths at once. Any other fighter class would¡¯ve been hopelessly outmatched, but monks were well suited to tight fights with small numbers, even against stronger opponents.


    As he watched, both wraiths swung with their claws at Youngho, but he always seemed out of reach. Each dodge was perfectly timed and when the space was too tight to move, the old man simply deflected each attack with minimal effort.


    Unlike knights, fighters or even brawlers (which were a prerequisite class to monks), Youngho¡¯s chosen class focused on increasing the player¡¯s own agility and dexterity by dodging or parrying attacks before counterattacking with an enhanced strike.


    The longer he kept it up, the more energy he could store. Even as he watched, Jinyoung could see Youngho¡¯s fists begin to glow. He almost missed the attack, a light jab that connected with one of the wraiths in the ribs. But it launched the monster clear across the silo and sent it crashing into the wall.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Jinyoung turned his attention back to his own opponent and raised his sword.


    ¡°[Charge],¡± he whispered. He didn¡¯t need to say the skill out loud, but it was comforting. ¡°[Scan].¡±


    Immediately, the wraith moved in. It swung wildly, trying to catch him off-guard. But [scan] gave him enough warning and [charge] allowed him to move faster. Instead of taking large steps or jumping from side to side, Jinyoung focused on smaller movements like he¡¯d seen Youngho making. Only taking large steps or jumping back when necessary.


    It was only a few seconds before the wraith swung wide (too wide) and Jinyoung saw his opening. He thrust his sword forward and knocked the monster back, through the catwalks railing where it fell two stories before landing on the catwalk of a lower level.


    From above him, he heard a deep voice call out. ¡°Good shot, boy!¡±


    Quickly Jinyoung moved forward and [dashed] in to close the distance between himself and his opponent. Before the monster could recover, Jinyoung was on it hacking with his sword. He got three clean strikes in before the monster raised a clawed hand and knocked him away.


    Jinyoung landed on his feet and [charged]. The monster swung its claws sideways, unable to swing vertically without catching on the ground below or the catwalk above. One swing came close leaving a cold chill on Jinyoung¡¯s face as he was centimeters from having it torn from his skull.


    But it gave him the opening he needed and he swung his sword wide connecting with the wraith¡¯s chest.


    The monster went backwards striking the railing of the catwalk so hard it tore right through it and fell into the darkness below. Jinyoung waited a second, hoping to hear the sickening thud it would make when the wraith hit the ground stories below his feet. Instead he heard nothing and backed up into a defensive position before a voice broke his concentration.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Youngho¡¯s voice called out behind him.


    Jinyoung turned to see Hana similarly knock her wraith off the catwalk with a [shield bash] before disappearing into a tight corridor.


    ***


    The cramped corridor went on for miles. There were heavy duty doors which were sealed shut with no visible method of opening in from their side.


    ¡°These corridors must double as exhaust vents,¡± Youngho explained. ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re designed without any branching paths.¡±


    Jinyoung grimaced. ¡°As much as I¡¯d enjoy the history lesson, we need to figure out how to deal with the wraiths behind us.¡±


    Youngho stopped so suddenly that Hana stumbled and bumped into him.


    ¡°First, we need to get away from those damned things and come up with a plan.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Jinyoung countered. ¡°You seemed to be doing well enough on your own.¡±


    Hana closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She¡¯d forgotten what it was like being around both of them at the same time.


    But Jinyoung was right. Her father had been able to hold his own against two sin wraiths alone. As a shield knight, Hana¡¯s specialty was defending physically weaker teammates but also acting as a tank to take damage where others couldn¡¯t. Her father on the other hand, had the skills of a monk which allowed him to avoid taking damage altogether by dodging and parrying attacks.


    The only reason Hana and Jinyoung had been able to hold off against a sin wraith each was because they¡¯d faced one before. She doubted, even with luck on their side, that they could actually defeat all four.


    That¡¯s when she heard it. It was faint but unmistakable.


    ¡­bae!


    ¡°Jinyoung,¡± she hissed.


    Her father and brother immediately silenced. Jinyoung¡¯s eyes went wide when he heard it, too.


    ¡°We must be far enough from the wraiths,¡± he mumbled.


    Willow, can you hear us? Where are you?


    Hana held her breath and prayed. Finally, after a long suspenseful moment passed, she got her response.


    I¡¯m with Seunghyo, sunbae. We¡¯re in trouble.

 Cradle of Ice (3)

    Willow moved quickly through the devastated city, her eyes scanning movement or any hint of survivors. Aside from the man half-buried under the rubble earlier, she¡¯d found four others trapped under fallen structures and one unconscious woman who had fallen from the fourth floor of a structure.


    Each one had been quickly checked for injuries and sent west to follow the other survivors.


    Head west, she¡¯d told them. You can link up with the others and avoid the horde.


    But now it felt like a mistake.


    The Frostbitten were coming in like waves, crashing against the remnants of the city. At first, there were thirty, then forty, and they were quickly being overrun. She wasn¡¯t sure how many players were left in the city, but there weren¡¯t enough to defend against the horde. At least, not scattered the way they were.


    ¡°Help m-me!¡±


    She spun around, looking for the source of the scream. The streets were wide, but the rubble and smoke made it hard to see.


    ¡°Seunghyo! Do you see him?¡± she shouted.


    The older man shook his head and didn¡¯t break stride. ¡°Willow, we need to keep moving-¡±


    He was interrupted by the man¡¯s cry, but this time it was unmistakably closer.


    ¡°H-help puh-please!¡±


    Willow moved quickly, sprinting past a small warehouse and rounding the corner to where the cry for help was coming from.


    Immediately, she regretted her decision.


    Seven Frostbitten stood over a man who was cradling his shoulder. Instead of attacking the defenseless man, they looked like they were watching over him. It wasn¡¯t until Willow had a second to catch her breath that she realized what happened.


    He¡¯d been bitten.


    The man¡¯s face was already turning blue and the quiver she had heard in his voice wasn¡¯t fear, it was cold. As she watched, the man shivered visibly.


    It slowly dawned on her how much danger she was in. She was far too close to be able to take on seven, potentially eight, monsters at close range. They would overwhelm her in seconds, or worse.


    Willow took a step backwards. And then another, all while keeping her eyes trained on the scene in front of her. Which is why she didn¡¯t see the rubble directly behind her. She knocked over a small tin can which clattered noisily to the side.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The Frostbitten didn¡¯t react, but the man did. His head swiveled and from a distance, she could still see the fear in his eyes. The man opened his mouth, no doubt intending to cry for help, but what came out a guttural screeching wail.


    Willow didn¡¯t think. She just turned and ran.


    ***


    ¡°Damn it, where did you get off to?¡± Seunghyo cursed Willow. And then himself for not keeping up with her.


    The small city only had roughly twenty structures, but with half of them collapsed and the others completely demolished, the streets and pathways were now a maze.


    He felt for his quiver and counted thirteen bolts. He¡¯d been collecting as many as he could including ones he¡¯d used, but with fifty-something Frostbitten running through the streets, he¡¯d need something else.


    ¡°Willow,¡± he hissed.


    Too loud and he¡¯d attract the frozen monsters which would tear him apart at close range. Instead, he scanned the area around him looking for any signs of movement or something out of place.


    For a moment, he stopped to take in the reality of the wreckage around him. From what he could tell, someone had attempted to retract the shield doors for the silo below. And whether it was due to faulty machinery or the ravages of time, the blast doors didn¡¯t fully retract. It was enough to knock down the majority of the structure in the city, but at least there were survivors.


    Henry, he thought.


    The only person who would have anything to gain from this chaos was the man who had brought Seunghyo in on this mission. His final mission, the Frenchman had promised him.


    ¡°Once this is done, your debt to the Cha Bell Corporation is cleared,¡± he man had said.


    Henry, are you out there?


    There wasn¡¯t a response, but he didn¡¯t expect one either. Whatever play Henry was making, he was certainly not a part of it.


    His eyes moved across the wreckage until they spotted something glinting in the light. He made his way over quickly and removed a short sword from the remains of what looked to be a poorly kept armory.


    ¡°Waste not, want not,¡± he muttered to himself.


    The short sword was in better shape than he had expected. There was no scabbard, but it was light enough that he could carry it with his bow. In this maze of wreckage, chances were that he¡¯d need something other than his bow for close quarters.


    Seunghyo closed his eyes and focused on his hearing. At first he didn¡¯t hear anything besides the slight crackle of fires, but he was hoping for something unnatural. It could be the inconsistent rhythm of debris shifting or-


    ¡°Seunghyo!¡± The voice was unmistakably Willow¡¯s.


    He moved quickly, hoping that his approximation of the young player¡¯s location was correct.


    ¡°Seunghyo!¡±


    The second cry was louder, closer, and significantly more panicked.


    ¡°Willow!¡± he cried out in return.


    Seunghyo readied an arrow on his bow and sprinted as fast as he could.


    ¡°Seunghyo!¡±


    There was no doubt about it, Willow was behind the warehouse to his left. It was still in decent shape so if he could just get around it, he should end up right next to her. He could see the corner of the structure. There was no doubt that Willow was being pursued by monsters and the second he rounded the corner, he¡¯d be faced with a close quarters fight against multiple monsters.


    He steeled himself and whirled around the corner with his bow at the ready, took aim and let his arrow fly.

 Cradle of Ice (4)

    We¡¯re cornered! There are too many Frostbitten out here, sunbae!


    Jinyoung and Hana moved quickly with Youngho trailing behind. Without any monsters to fight, all they could do was pump their legs and keep communicating with Willow. It was its own state of hell being unable to do anything.


    How many are up there? Jinyoung asked.


    There was a pause that made Hana hold her breath.


    At least seventy, we take them down but there¡¯s more. Too many for us to deal with!


    ***


    ¡°[Arcane bolt]!¡±


    Willow¡¯s aim was off and the spell struck the man in the shoulder with enough force to knock him down. But it was only a second before the man was back up and charging forward with ghastly white eyes.


    Seunghyo¡¯s aim, on the other hand, was perfect.


    Each thwip was followed by a sizzling pop as the arrows found them marks before exploding and killing their targets. But there weren¡¯t enough arrows in the world to help them defeat the army of frozen undead that was rushing them.


    ¡°I¡¯m out!¡± Seunghyo called out.


    The short sword came out and he immediately put it to use cutting down a Frostbitten before immediately jumping back and moving into a run. Willow scrambled up a small mountain of rubble with Seunghyo right behind her. The Frostbitten were fast, but they weren¡¯t coordinated. For every one that made it up the rubble, another two slid down behind them.


    Willow reached the peach first and turned around to immediately let off a volley of spells. Bursts of flame, ice and electricity flew over Seunghyo¡¯s head. He could only guess at how close the monsters were behind him. One or two errant bursts of energy sparked against his skin, but he preferred that to a cold dead hand grabbing him by the ankle.


    He made it to the peak and checked that the other side was clear before shouting, ¡°Move!¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The two slid down the other end before landing in a cloud of dust and continuing their run.


    It hadn¡¯t escaped Seunghyo¡¯s mind that there had to be a cause to their troubles. There was only one person who was capable of this level of chaos and destruction. Only one person who would sacrifice their entire party as well as the population of a small town in order to complete his own goals.


    Henry! Where the goddamned hell are you?!


    There was no response, but he hadn¡¯t expected one. The Frenchman had been only too happy to sit back and let Seunghyo and his team take on the sin wraith over a week ago and even now, all Henry had done was herd them to this point.


    Willow looked at him with clear panic written on her face. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    The city was in ruins and there weren¡¯t any suitable structures to defend themselves from. The only structure left standing was the shopping mall that he¡¯d led Hana and her party two days earlier.


    ¡°There,¡± he pointed. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, the survivors who were gathered there have put together some sort of a defense.¡±


    ¡°And if we¡¯re not?¡±


    Seunghyo didn¡¯t want to respond. Neither of them were effective at close range and Seunghyo¡¯s skills with a sword had their limits. If they were overwhelmed now, then¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to worry about that later,¡± he said. ¡°Start running.¡±


    ***


    Hana and Jinyoung were sprinting beyond their means. The cold air in their lungs was painful, but it was nothing compared to how they would feel if they didn¡¯t make it up in time to help Willow and Seunghyo.


    The corridor was long and endless and they¡¯d been running for miles. The only branching exits had been exhaust vents which were too small for a person to fit through or passages which were fully collapsed. The only part of the structure that had been reinforced was the long corridor they were running through.


    Sunbae, we¡¯re heading to the shopping mall that Seunghyo took us to earlier.


    ¡°If the clan chat is working, we can¡¯t be too far from them,¡± Jinyoung huffed between breaths.


    And he was right. The clan chat only had a range of a few hundred meters. And that would be much less with the presence of a sin monster nearby. The fact that they could still communicate with Willow was the only good news they¡¯d had so far.


    ¡°Dad, keep up!¡±


    Youngho had a harder time keeping up with the others. At the ripe age of 56, he hadn¡¯t kept up with his cardio. Of course, as a close range fighter, he hadn¡¯t needed to. Most of the monsters he fought came to him.


    He thought to grumble back, but he was breathless enough that he didn¡¯t have the strength for it. He just waved weakly and did his best to continue running.


    ¡°They¡¯re headed back to mall, which means we need to get out and get back to the silo where-¡±


    Hana stopped speaking and skidded to a stop. Her words caught in her throat. The corridor had been getting slightly brighter which had given her hope. Maybe they were close to an exit or a window. Just something that they could use to get back outside.


    But the light had come from the gap in the shield doors above their heads, shining a light on the twisted and bent steel of the catwalks. From this view, she could see that it was indeed a massive launch pad for satellites or missiles. Something from the old world.


    But it also meant they had circled around to end up back where they started.

 Cradle of Ice (5)

    In the aftermath of the Break, Hana didn¡¯t speak for months. Youngho did his best to comfort her, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do. In one fell swoop, the child lost both parents along with any connections to existing blood relatives. Whatever her future may have held for her, her past could offer no help.


    He did his best to comfort her during the day and at night, he did his best to keep the cold drafts out and used his blanket to keep her warm.


    As sad as it was to say, her youth was what saved her. She was young enough that eventually she forgot her parents. More importantly, she forgot what the world was before the Break. The new world, broken as it was, was home to her.


    Youngho watched, with more than a little sadness, as Hana adjusted to loss. First her parents, then her adopted brother, then her friends and allies. Each loss affected her deeply, but she carried on. She was a survivor.


    But Jinyoung struggled.


    The loss of his mother was one thing, but Jinyoung wasn¡¯t Korean. Or at least, he wasn¡¯t Korean born. The boy had grown up half a world away and didn¡¯t speak the language, at least not well enough to get by on his own.


    Youngho was a high school graduate who was barely getting by as a bus driver when the care of two orphans was thrust upon him. He tried his best, but the only English he knew were leftover phrases from his childhood.


    It was years before they could communicate properly, and only a few years before Jinyoung learned the truth.


    Jinyoung¡¯s father, his real father, was alive.


    ***


    ¡°We need to get above ground, now!¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s voice carried through the underground silo and the echoes bounced through the corridors endlessly. If the wraiths were anywhere in the vicinity, there was no doubt they heard him.


    He studied the lip of the shield door opening. ¡°If I can [dash] up there, I might be able to pull myself up. Then-¡±


    ¡°Then, you¡¯ll be facing off against the horde of Frostbitten with ¡®em,¡± Youngho reminded him. ¡°You think you can handle forty or fifty of them, boy?¡±


    ¡°You got a better idea, old man?¡± Jinyoung snapped.


    He [scanned] their surroundings and spotted four other corridors that led out of the silo. Two were inaccessible while the others were located below their position, not above.


    The only clear access point above ground was the silo opening itself which stood about 40 meters above his current position. Based on his previous attempts to [dash] large distances, he was at least 25 meters short. Worse still, if he missed, chances were he would fall through the center of the silo where there were no catwalks or landings except for the hard concrete flooring deep below.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    His only option was to [dash] onto the broken catwalks above him until he was close enough to grab ahold of the lip. Assuming the catwalks could hold his weight and assuming he could correctly predict the placement of his hand in relation to the lip when he came out of the [dash]. If the catwalks collapsed under his weight or he misjudged his landing, then-


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Youngho shouted.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Youngho looked hard at Jinyoung and Hana before repeating himself through gritted teeth. ¡°Where. Are. They.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s pause, Hana replied to her father. ¡°They¡¯re heading north to the converted shopping mall where we met you. But I don¡¯t understand why that-¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± he interrupted. ¡°You¡¯re not the only ones with friends above ground.¡±


    ***


    The shopping mall stood exactly as it had when Willow first saw it. This time, however, the entrance was barricaded.


    Try as she might, Willow could see no way through. And even if they could break their way through, it would leave the entrance completely open to the Frostbitten who were no doubt close behind.


    ¡°We need to head back,¡± she said. Despite her best efforts, her voice faltered.


    A firm hand gripped her shoulder. ¡°Too late.¡±


    Willow slowly turned to face thirty Frostbitten. Their eyes glowed with a pale blue flame that chilled her to the bone. As a scholar, the most reliable spell in her arsenal was undoubtedly [arcane bolt]. There was no difficulty in casting it and regardless of her own aptitude (or lack thereof), the efficacy of the spell was unchanged.


    ¡°Try not to think too much,¡± Seunghyo whispered. ¡°Take down one, then move on to the next. Okay?¡±


    She nodded quickly in response. ¡°Should we make the first move?¡±


    The veteran player¡¯s eyes focused on the mob of monstrous and armored players before him.


    ¡°No, they¡¯ll attack soon enough. Just be ready when they do.¡±


    Willow did her best not to shiver. It was one thing to run through the ruins of the city, but now that she was standing still, the frigid chill was creeping in. She glanced at Seunghyo who stood perfectly still and slowly adopted an active grip on his short sword.


    Shrieek!


    One of the Frostbitten opened its maw and let out a terrifying screech. The cry was echoed by the others in the crowd before they rushed forward like a frozen wave of death.


    Seunghyo took a step forward and readied himself for the onslaught. At the least, he could provide cover for Willow in case she saw an opening to slip away. With every heartbeat, the Frostbitten moved five feet closer.


    At this range, Seunghyo could see the things for what they were. Mindless, hungry. Death.


    He was so intent on the mob that he barely noticed the movement behind him. It wasn¡¯t until the first of the frozen monsters was in range that he realized someone or something was behind them. And just as Seunghyo moved to cut down the first of the monsters, he saw the flash.


    It took a second for him to recognize the shape of a wicked axe as it cut through the air and halved four frozen players in front of him. Just as quickly, another flash of light mowed down another half dozen.


    Before Willow or Seunghyo had the chance to react, two burly figures threw themselves in the crowd and cut through the Frostbitten like they were a field of wheat. When they were done, they slowly walked back to the two frozen players.


    The smaller of them, an older woman spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m Halmae, that¡¯s Grim,¡± she said pointing at a bearded man holding a frightening looking axe. ¡°You¡¯re the ones Youngho told us about, right?¡±

 Cradle of Ice (6)

    One of the first lessons after making cadet at the Academy was teamwork. Not just in theory, but in practice. Students were lined up and handed weapons at random: a sword, a shield, a spear, a knife and bow. The objective was simple, land a single blow on an instructor.


    It was rare for any team to pass the test. Cadets are told that the weapons are assigned at random, but in reality, each weapon is paired with a cadet who has little to no knowledge of its use. Someone who specializes in swords might be given a bow while an aspiring rogue would be given a spear.


    The goal was to remove the utility of each team member and focus on the team as a whole.


    In reality, cadets assigned the bow and the knife were less than useless as combatants. These weapons were routinely assigned to headstrong cadets who were overconfident in the sword, axe or spear. Reducing their range and power with the knife, or removing those factors completely with the bow was the point of the exercise.


    Sometimes, the best thing a player could do was be out of the way.


    That was the thought that occurred to Willow as she watched her two rescuers demolish a crowd of armored monsters. It was amazing to watch as the two players moved quickly to push back over twenty Frostbitten so easily.


    Halmae was, like her name implied, quite old. Willow judged her to be at least sixty, maybe a few years older. She carried a great sword which she swung in great arcs cutting through four or five opponents at a time. The age of her companion, Grim, looked to be no less. His wicked axe was smaller, but no less devastating. He cut down any monsters who got too close and, when they were surrounded, he slammed the axe into the ground, creating a shockwave that drove the remaining monsters back.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    On instinct, Willow raised her hands to cast a spell but Seunghyo raised a hand to block her.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got this.¡±


    ¡°But I can help.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re okay. Check in with the others,¡± Seunghyo said sternly.


    In all the chaos, she¡¯d completely forgotten. Of course he was right.


    Sunbae, we¡¯re both okay up here. How are you down there?


    Willow could almost hear the relief in Hana¡¯s voice. That¡¯s good to hear. We¡¯ll wait for you, but if we¡¯re going to head deeper, then we¡¯re going to need all the help we can get.


    She was surprised that Hana wanted to go deeper. But, then she must¡¯ve realized the truth. The Cha Bell Corporation wasn¡¯t known for playing by the rules. The people who worked for them were either as ruthless and untrustworthy as Henry, the man who had kidnapped them earlier, or they were desperate people who were press ganged into service.


    After days of traveling with Seunghyo, Willow knew which of the two Seunghyo was. And while the danger was all too real, Willow felt a bit of relief to know they would not be leaving Seunghyo behind.


    But when she relayed this to him, his expression turned grim.


    ¡°No, we should leave,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to square things with the company, but¡­ this isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Willow thought to argue, but she knew this wasn¡¯t her decision to make. And the danger of continuing further was all too real.


    Sunbae, Seunghyo wants to pull back. Your father¡¯s comrades have cleared the field, but there are more coming. What are your orders?


    When no response was forthcoming, Willow repeated herself. It wasn¡¯t likely that the clan chat had a communication error, but the last thing she wanted to do in the field was make an assumption.


    Willow had trouble making out the response. She couldn¡¯t tell if they had moved too far away for the message to come through or if something else was interfering. She could only make out one word.


    ¡­wraiths.

 Cradle of Ice (7)

    Youngho was grateful for his age. With it came experience and wisdom, two things he had been sorely lacking in his youth. There were too many fights that he had run into without thinking and too many friends lost to risks that should have never been taken.


    The wraith moved quickly, dodging from side to side making its movement unreadable. Not that there was much to read. While there was an intelligence guiding its actions, there wasn¡¯t any strategy. The things were killers, plain and simple.


    The claw swipe came in hard and fast, but Youngho had seen it coming from miles away. These things attacked to kill, not to wound. A wave of his arm and a flick of his wrist sent the attack sailing harmlessly past while Youngho barely moved from his spot.


    [WAVE FORM (Passive)]


    Parry counter: 4 (+1)


    +12% to AGI, +12% to WIS, +12% to DEX


    The second wraith attacked immediately after. A thrust that would have removed his head from his body had a well-timed fist not been there to change its trajectory.


    [WAVE FORM (Passive)]


    Parry counter: 5(+1)


    +15% to AGI, +15% to WIS, +15% to DEX


    The monk class was difficult to master, if only because of the inherent risk. [Wave Form] allowed Youngho to increase his agility, wisdom and dexterity so long as he continued to parry or dodge attacks. It helped that each increase made it easier for him to see the attacks coming and to move out of the way. He moved quickly, keeping his breath in check and making sure that each parry was a clean one. All the while, the counter ticked upwards until he was ready.


    [WAVE FORM (Passive)]


    Parry counter: 21(+1)


    +63% to AGI, +63% to WIS, +63% to DEX


    That¡¯s good enough, he thought.


    During his years as a brawler, Youngho had focused on one thing: dealing as much damage as he could as quickly as he could. Unlike other classes like scholars, rogues, archers, or even other fighter classes like knights, brawlers had no defensive skills. They could only focus on offense and so their ¡°build¡± strategy was simple. Kill your opponent before they kill you.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    But the monk class was entirely different. [Wave form] meant that Youngho grew stronger as the fight carried on. Until he dealt or took damage, he could continue to stack the bonuses so long as he was physically able to fight. His joints screamed the longer he fought, but the system bonuses meant he could see the attacks coming more easily, move his body more quickly, and eventually land a devastating blow more accurately.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he saw his opening. One of the wraiths swung wide again. He dodged easily (Parry counter: 22(+1)) and the next wraith dragged its claw through the floor and swiped up. For a moment, both wraiths were completely off-balance and open.


    Before either monster could react, Youngho stepped towards the nearest one and punched. Hard.


    ¡°[Crippling strike]!¡±


    In the moment of impact, Youngho felt an intense energy flow through the entirety of his body and out his fist. It was almost like a surge of electricity directed through his punch into his adversary. It had taken years of training to master, but it felt amazing each time.


    The perfect punch.


    ***


    It sounded like a gunshot. A crack that echoed underground and made Jinyoung¡¯s ears ring for a second after. It came from somewhere above them, in the catwalks maybe.


    But Jinyoung didn¡¯t have long to think about the sound or what could¡¯ve been responsible for it. The two wraiths moved and attacked without hesitation. His sister raised her shield and blocked one blow while he [dashed] forward to meet the next one. Instead of going on the defensive, Jinyoung activated [charge] and immediately attacked. The wraith flew back from the impact and from experience, he knew he had a few seconds before it re-engaged.


    Behind him, he could hear Hana use [shield bash] to stun her opponent and immediately follow up with [charged hit]. It wasn¡¯t quite powerful, but it was enough to push the wraith back. Jinyoung moved quickly and aimed a cut at the monster¡¯s heart. Unfortunately, it moved right before he made contact so that he cut into its ribs instead.


    Shrieeek!


    Hana felt the telltale pull of wind and knew immediately what was coming next.


    ¡°Get behind me!¡± she ordered.


    Muscle memory and instinct had the shield up long before the attack came. And Jinyoung¡¯s reassuring hand on her shoulder told her he had taken cover behind her. The burst of cold air hit her shield, but she knew what to expect. The air didn¡¯t even feel as cold.


    For his part, Jinyoung saw the attack coming. His [scan] glowed when the wraith charged its mana giving him more than enough time to get behind his sister¡¯s shield. But he also saw the attack for what it really was, a spell. The brunt of the ice mana dashed on Hana¡¯s shield and behind it, a gap. No, not just a gap, an opening.


    He shifted his weight and [dashed] letting the skill carry him through the spell and behind it. And there it was, the wraith. Arms stretched wide and completely open. Undefended.


    Jinyoung moved quickly before the monster had a chance to react and plunged his sword deep into the monster¡¯s chest where its heart should be. The wraith fell backwards and opened its mouth to let out another piercing wail. But before it could, Jinyoung [charged] and swung his blade hard, decapitating the monster.

 Cradle of Ice (8)

    <blockquote>


    [SIN WRAITH defeated.]


    [Leveled up.]


    </blockquote>


    Jinyoung tried to catch his breath. Undead monsters like wraiths and skeletons were resistant to physical attacks. There was no muscle to cut and no skin to pierce and their bones were harder than stone.


    But lethal blows were deadly to just about anything the dungeons could birth, including the undead.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure that would work.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope you can do it again because there¡¯s at least three more,¡± Hana replied.


    Jinyoung paused, looking at Hana who had her shield raised and had her head on a swivel.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the other one?¡± he asked.


    Youngho stepped off the catwalk above their heads and landed on the ground in front of them. The old warrior was bruised, but still in one piece.


    ¡°I took one out so there should be two left,¡± he said.


    The siblings couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. Armed with nothing but his fists, Youngho had not only held his own against two sin wraiths, he had killed one of them.


    Jinyoung [scanned] the area, looking for the two remaining wraiths but the system returned nothing.


    ¡°They¡¯re just¡­ gone.¡±


    ***


    Halmae moved her feet quickly, but she ran slowly. There was an undeniable oldness to the way the grizzled woman ran brought a smile to Willow¡¯s face. Willow kept pace just ahead, but turned around frequently to make sure she didn¡¯t get too far from her new companion.


    ¡°Up ahead!¡± Halmae shouted.


    Willow was impressed. The old woman had spotted a small group of Frostbitten congregating in front of a building.


    ¡°[Arcane shot]!¡±


    The spell burned through the air and hit the closest monster, tumbling him forward into the other four that stood with it. Immediately, the others reacted and stumbled over each other to sprint at Willow.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Good job, girl!¡±


    Halmae ran until she had caught up with Willow. The burly warrior gripped her oversized greatsword and planted her feet firmly.


    ¡°Get down!¡±


    Willow swiftly lay down on the cold gravel and closed her eyes in preparation for Halmae¡¯s attack. Even at lower levels, a [charged strike] by a fighter can deal significant damage to opponents. Unlike scholars who focus their mana and imbue it with an element or force, fighters focus their mana into weapons or their fists to increase the explosive force of their own attacks.


    ¡°[Charged strike]!¡±


    The greatsword swung around like a clock hand as Halmae held on from the center. Imbued with mana, the blade glowed white hot and left a trail of light behind it as it cut through armor and flesh. Even with her eyes closed, Willow could see the glow of the sword as it passed over her face.


    ¡°Done, girl!¡± Halmae called out.


    Willow opened her eyes and sat up to see the bodies of the Frostbitten splayed out on the street around her. It was a sad sight, but undeniably impressive to see what the aged player was capable of.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that a show?¡± Grim called out and he jogged over.


    Together, he and Seunghyo had watched from afar as Willow and Halmae cleared out the last of the Frostbitten.


    ¡°What about you two?¡± Halmae shot back. ¡°Or have you been leaving the heavy lifting to the women?¡±


    Seunghyo shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve cleared the other Frostbitten in the city for now.¡±


    The pathfinder knelt down and put a hand on the ground. He could feel a slight tremble and there was an odd scent in the air. ¡°There¡¯s more of them, a few miles out, but they¡¯ll be here soon enough. We need to leave by then.¡±


    He turned to Willow, ¡°Can you get ahold of Hana? We can hunt down Henry later, but we need to get out of here now.¡±


    Willow nodded. After a moment, she spoke, relaying the message to Seunghyo.


    ¡°They¡¯re looking for a way out now but the silo¡¯s built like a maze and-¡±


    ¡°Third floor, west wall,¡± Seunghyo interrupted. ¡°There should be a corridor that leads to a ladder. They can climb out there. What about the wraiths?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re heading there now. They took out two of the wraiths but they don¡¯t know where the other two went. As long as they don¡¯t run into them, it should be fine. Right?¡±


    Her voice faltered when she saw Seunghyo¡¯s face. He had gone pale.


    ¡°No, there should be three. We killed one of the wraiths at the gate-lock and there should¡¯ve been three down there,¡± he said shakily.


    Willow stopped for a second before repeating herself. ¡°No, sunbae says there were definitely four down there with them. Why?¡±


    Almost involuntarily, the veteran player muttered to himself softly. ¡°No, no, no.¡±


    Seunghyo squeezed his eyes tight and prayed he would wake up. He had dragged them all into the heart of danger and now, his worst fears were confirmed.


    ¡°Because there were four wraiths when I went through the silo, Willow. Only four.¡±


    When Willow shook her head, he continued. ¡°The only way Hana could have fought four wraiths now is if another appeared.¡±


    ¡°Appeared?¡±


    Monsters didn¡¯t appear out of thin-air. They could only appear through breaks. And there weren¡¯t any breaks except-


    Willow met Seunghyo¡¯s wide eyes with a frightened expression of her own.


    ¡°The gate, the one that the barony created in the silo¡­ it¡¯s still open.¡±

 Cradle of Ice (9)

    The man and woman were trapped in a bunker half-buried under rubble. If not for the faint shouting Willow heard from the ground level, she might have passed by them without giving it a second thought. As it was, the survivors looked haggard. If she had to guess, they were recent arrivals in Pyong-gang, likely after their previous home was overrun by the horde.


    She could see the look in their eyes when they were unearthed. It said, not again.


    ¡°You need to move west. Get to the first outpost and head south right away.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure whether she sounded as confident as she hoped, but the two survivors nodded readily.


    ¡°There¡¯ll be others along the way. Stay in groups no larger than five and you should be fine.¡±


    They moved quickly, though not as quickly as Willow would have liked. The cold chill was lessened by the smoldering fires around them, but it would no doubt be freezing cold once they made it out of the town.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the last of them.¡± she huffed. ¡°We should go back and meet up with the others.¡±


    Seunghyo swept the area with his eyes, looking for any signs of life. It had been two hours since the small city had fallen into ruin. They had found twenty survivors, but the number was dropping.


    Time was running short. The horde was thousands of Frostbitten, too many for them to take on even with the help of Halmae and Grim. The best they could do was clear the town of survivors and then head back to provide support for Hana and her family.


    Back at the silo¡¯s entrance, Halmae and Grim were already waiting. The bleak look on their faces told Seunghyo they hadn¡¯t been as lucky in their search for survivors.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Grim rasped.


    Both Halmae and Willow attempted to contact Hana and Youngho but with no luck. More than likely, the distance was too great for them to communicate. No one spoke, but there was an unspoken acknowledgement there was the chance there was no one left to communicate with.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°We need to head down and close the gate,¡± Seunghyo said finally. ¡°The longer it¡¯s open, the more likely something comes out that none of us can defend against.¡±


    Halmae nodded. ¡°Fine, the four of us¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Seunghyo interjected. ¡°We won¡¯t stand a chance if the Frostbitten overwhelms us up here or, God help us, if they get into the silo behind us. We need you both to keep the town clear until we return with the others.¡±


    ¡°What about the wraiths down there?¡± Grim asked. ¡°The two of you won¡¯t be able to take ¡®em on yourselves.¡±


    Willow and Seunghyo traded looks. Both hoped they looked as confident as they sounded. ¡°We won¡¯t have to.¡±


    ***


    Seunghyo¡¯s instructions were clear.


    The silo was built during the Soviet era, but the laboratory and research facility were developed later. On the east side of the silo, there was a corridor that would lead to more lab facilities, the gate, and the gate control room.


    ¡°The Cradle,¡± he had called it.


    Jinyoung shivered as they walked. The temperature dropped lower the deeper they went. Almost as if whatever was at the end of the tunnels was sucking the heat out of the air. Maybe even the earth itself.


    ¡°You did well back there, Jinyoung,¡± Youngho said.


    Upon hearing his name, his back stiffened. Ever since the earthquake, he hadn¡¯t spoken to the old man and except for a few comments here and there, Youngho had been the same.


    His response came slowly and awkwardly. ¡°Thank¡­ you.¡±


    Even in the dark, he could see his sister roll her eyes at the two of them.


    ¡°You¡¯re using all three, aren¡¯t you?¡± Youngho asked. ¡°[Charge], [dash], and [scan].¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure how to respond, so he just nodded. And mumbled softly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    [You have been [scanned].]


    Jinyoung whirled on the old man. Not necessarily in anger, but in shock. Until now, [scan] had been able to tell him when he was being targeted by monster attacks and skills, but this was the first time it had informed him of another player¡¯s actions.


    But the old man¡¯s knowing smile gave him pause.


    ¡°Got you, boy.¡±


    His cheeks flushed and he quickly turned away, stomping his feet and moving past Hana into the lead. The old man had always known exactly how to get under his skin.


    Hana didn¡¯t realize what was going on, but she¡¯d seen enough of her family to know what they were like together. ¡°Jinyoung, wait-¡±


    A raised hand stopped her before she finished. Jinyoung didn¡¯t duck down or take up a defensive position, so he hadn¡¯t spotted an enemy. It was something else altogether then. Something that would give him pause. He turned slowly and looked Hana in the eye before speaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Hidden Quest.¡±

 Cradle of Ice (10)

    QUEST: CRADLE of Ice (UNIQUE)


    Destroy the research related to the gate, SIN, and the close the gate itself.


    Reward: None.


    Failure: Failure to close the gate will result in an outbreak.


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyes widened and he balled his hands into fists. The temperature inside the facility was at least 30 below zero, but he felt a cold sweat break on the back of his neck. Shortly after making it out of the Black Shrine dungeon, he had come across a history book in the library of the Academy. Since his initial disappearance, there had only been five outbreaks. Each one was responsible for hundreds if not thousands of deaths. Seorak alone was responsible for 10 deaths every year, and it was considered one of the safest ones on the peninsula.


    Yet, here and now, there was the chance of another one. Unless they stopped it.


    Hana¡¯s voice broke through the silence. ¡°Jinyoung?¡±


    He blinked. Before he said anything, Jinyoung took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. He turned to share the quest with the others when he saw the system notification.


    [Share details of the hidden quest with nearby players?]


    The system was known for many things, but it was never deceitful. Whatever it was, it served as a tool for the human race and, therefore, Jinyoung had no reason to assume otherwise.


    [Confirm]


    Youngho cursed audibly when the quest notification blinked into existence. The system was a part of his daily life, but, until now, hidden quests were a myth. A rumor. And yet, one was staring him right in the face.


    He turned to the boy and grumbled, ¡°What the blazes have you been up to, boy?¡±


    He would have said more, but Hana couldn¡¯t wait for another round of familial arguing.


    ¡°Wait, if we fail this quest¡­ there¡¯ll be an outbreak? How is that possible?¡±


    The rules for an outbreak were simple. If too many monsters congregated in the vicinity of a gate, then the buildup of energy caused by their presence caused an excess number of monsters to appear in front of the gate.


    ¡°We¡¯ve fought four wraiths here, not to mention the one we killed earlier with Seunghyo in the west,¡± Jinyoung recounted. ¡°But we haven¡¯t seen any other monsters around here and that¡¯s nowhere near enough monsters to cause an outbreak. Unless maybe the monsters are about to break through the gate?¡±


    Hana closed her eyes before responding, ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense, the monsters affect the gate from our side, not-¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Sunbae! Jinyo¡­! Can ¡­one read me¡­?


    Willow? Hana asked. Where are you?


    The response was slow and it came in pieces, but eventually they could make out the response.


    Seunghyo and I are coming to you. Halmae and Grim are keeping the ground level clear for when we head up, but we need to hurry.


    Hana shook her head. We have bigger problems here, Willow. There¡¯s a hidden quest here and it¡¯s telling us that an outbreak is imminent. But there aren¡¯t any monsters down here.


    Even in the clan chat, Hana and Jinyoung could make out the panic in Willow¡¯s voice. Well, that¡¯s fine because there are enough topside, sunbae. The horde¡¯s here and whatever we¡¯re doing, we need to do it quickly.


    ¡°The horde¡­¡±


    Jinyoung felt like an idiot. All this time, they¡¯d been told all this time that there was a massive army of Frostbitten monsters wandering the frozen landscape. And now that they had wandered into town, the artificial gate was reacting to their presence and threatening to transform into an outbreak.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not what I was hoping to hear,¡± Youngho grumbled. ¡°But it is what it is. Take the quest and let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, dad,¡± Hana shot back. ¡°These hidden quests are deadly. The last one Jinyoung took nearly killed us.¡±


    Jinyoung wanted to protest, but realized that Hana wasn¡¯t wrong and decided to keep his mouth shut. It was the least he could at this point.


    Youngho tried to soften his voice before speaking. ¡°Darling, we¡¯re in this whether you take this quest or not. The best we can hope for is that taking the quest gives us an advantage we don¡¯t have now.¡±


    Something about the wording of that statement bothered Jinyoung. It was as if the old man knew more than he was letting on, but this certainly wasn¡¯t the time to be getting sidetracked.


    ¡°Father time isn¡¯t right often, but he¡¯s right this time,¡± Jinyoung offered. ¡°The danger¡¯s the same whether we take the quest or not.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t tell whether it was the prospect of a new quest or the fact that her father and brother were in agreement about something, but Hana felt like things were looking up for the first time in days.


    ¡°You¡¯re both right, but if we¡¯re going to do this, let¡¯s do it right. Right, dad?¡±


    [Youngho has joined the party.]


    A dry laugh caught in Jinyoung''s throat. Even back at the Academy, Hana had asked her brother countless times to embark on a short outing with their father. Just the three of them, like a real family. And now, after decades of waiting, her wish had finally come true.


    Before he could react or say something snarky, Hana straightened up and faced her brother.


    ¡°Jinyoung, take the quest.¡±


    He nodded quickly and accepted the system prompt. The updated quest prompt appeared for each member of the party.


    QUEST: CRADLE of Ice (UNIQUE)


    Destroy the research drive


    Destroy samples of purified SIN


    Destroy the CRADLE and close the GATE


    Reward: None.


    Failure: Failure to close the gate will result in an outbreak.


    Youngho mumbled as he read the quest details. ¡°Research drive, samples of purified sin, and the cradle. I guess the first thing we have to do is find all three, right?¡±


    But while he was focusing on the quest menu, something else had caught Jinyoung¡¯s eye. A faint glow in the distance far ahead of them. Almost like the light of a flashlight on the wall, except it was too far away and it seemed to mark a point in space somewhere ahead of them.


    ¡°Can anyone else see that?¡± he asked.


    Hana¡¯s eyes took a second longer to pick out the glow, but when her eyes focused on it, it was unmistakably something that hadn¡¯t been there before Jinyoung accepted the quest.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I see it, too.¡±


    It was Youngho¡¯s turn to squint. ¡°You think it¡¯s an illusion?¡±


    ¡°No, I think¡­¡± he stumbled in his words realizing what it was. ¡°I think it¡¯s a marker and that¡¯s our objective.¡±

 Cradle of Ice (11)

    Youngho mumbled when he was deep in thought.


    A direct result of having no inner monologue, he assumed. His mind reeled with the revelations of what his children had just told him. Hidden quests were one thing, but Jinyoung¡¯s current predicament troubled him more.


    Initially, after his disappearance, Youngho spent weeks searching the dungeon where he disappeared looking for him. It became his obsession.


    He entered alone, manually mapping every inch of the corridors and the location of each Incursion. After a month, it had been Youngho who had reached the gate at the end of the dungeon, going so far as to defeat the boss itself. Alone. But he stopped short of clearing the dungeon completely and closing the gate.


    He continued to enter the dungeon, looking for any sign of the boy.


    Others from the Academy set to the task of studying the Black Shrine itself, looking for any clue as to how it worked or where it had taken Jinyoung. Translations and tests went nowhere save a small snippet about the ¡°Onion Knight¡± which offered no clues to his whereabouts.


    In the end, he had given up the search not because he had lost hope, but because he could see the effect it was having on Hana and the others. The longer Youngho searched, the more the others felt emboldened to do so. To keep hope alive.


    And though it broke his heart to do so, he stopped. Slowly, after months (or years in some cases), the others began to accept the truth that whether Jinyoung was alive, there was nothing they could do to find him.


    When Hana¡¯s message reached him, the shock nearly laid him out cold.


    Youngho had never given up hope and the wave of relief at knowing Jinyoung was alive was overwhelming. But it was quickly replaced with a more powerful feeling: guilt.


    And now, this.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Hana said, startling him. ¡°I asked you if you¡¯ve ever seen anything like this?¡±


    Youngho shook his head to clear his thoughts. Better to focus on the here and now.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The marker, as they called it, was a fixed point in space. It was visible through walls and even in dark stretches when the emergency lights dimmed.


    For young players like Jinyoung or even Hana, the unknown was to be expected. New dungeons presented new challenges and new monsters. But for a man like Youngho, who had built his livelihood on pressing the borders and living on the edge of the known¡­ coming across something completely new was wholly unnerving.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s new to me.¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyebrow twitched.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Jinyoung countered.


    He recognized the tone in the boy¡¯s voice, but instead of responding in kind, he swallowed the embers of his anger.


    ¡°They¡¯re called ¡®unique classes¡¯,¡± Youngho said with as much calm as he could muster. When neither Hana nor Jinyoung responded, he continued. ¡°They were discovered in another region not long after the Break. Unlike regular classes, only one person can occupy a unique class.¡±


    ¡°Dad, does that mean what I think it means?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If Jinyoung is an ¡®Onion Knight,¡¯ then he¡¯s the only one.¡±


    Jinyoung stopped walking and turned to face Youngho.


    ¡°Wait, you said that they were discovered in another region. So someone else told you about this?¡±


    Youngho nodded, but didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Who?¡± Jinyoung pressed.


    After a moment¡¯s silence, Yooungho answered.


    ¡°Your father.¡±


    ***


    The screens flashed while machinery clicked and rumbled in the background. Beyond the windows, the ¡®cradle¡¯ sparked ominously while the gate hovered just above it. The cradle looked just like that, but instead of rocking back and forth it stood on four steel legs. Above the cradle was the gate, a tear in time and space that manifested as an inky blackness surrounded by light.


    Henry enjoyed the sight of the cradle and, if he had his way, he would sit and watch the scenery for a while longer. But he could already hear Seunghyo¡¯s friends making their way down the hall towards the control room.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said to no one in particular. ¡°People talk and talk, as if no one¡¯s listening. But I¡¯m listening.¡±


    He tried to listen closely, to make out the subject of conversation but the whirr and buzz of the computers and machinery drowned out the voices. He could hear bits and pieces, but it wasn¡¯t worth the effort of putting it all together.


    ¡°They¡¯ll all be dead soon enough.¡±


    A low screech reminded him he wasn¡¯t alone. Henry stepped in the shadows just as the wraiths passed by the windows. They had returned half an hour earlier and were patrolling the gate. They looked anxious, but of what, Henry couldn¡¯t be certain.


    If not for the wraiths, Henry would have left long before Seunghyo¡¯s friends had arrived. But he learned earlier that while the wraiths couldn¡¯t see him when he disappeared into the shadows, they could sense his presence. Enough to swing wildly hoping to cut him into ribbons.


    Henry reached out and tapped a few keys, sending more power to the gate. The cradle shook violently, but the gate held firm.


    The wraiths reacted immediately, moving back and forth beyond the windows.


    Something was on the other side of the gate, Henry reasoned. And whatever it was, it made the wraiths nervous.


    Under normal circumstances, Henry would leave. He had the research and a sample of purified sin. But he would have company soon enough, and he wanted to make sure they had a warm welcome.

 Cradle of Ice (12)

    The sight of the Frenchman made Jinyoung¡¯s skin crawl. It wasn¡¯t just his outward appearance, it was the way he carried himself. The vibe he gave off.


    At first, Jinyoung didn¡¯t understand. The man didn¡¯t seem physically different in any meaningful way. As far as he could tell, the man who¡¯d been introduced as ¡®Henry¡¯ was wearing the same clothes and wore the same shadow of a self-satisfied smile on his face.


    But the second he entered the control room and saw him, the hairs of the back of Jinyoung¡¯s neck stood up on end. His entire body stiffened and he could feel the adrenaline in his veins. Each time the man waved his hands or shifted his weight, Jinyoung had to steel himself. Mentally nail his feet to the floor because every instinct he had was screaming to ready himself. To defend himself when the time came. Not if, when.


    The effect of the system on human physiology was well-documented even if no one could agree on the extent or degree of its effect. It was common knowledge that increasing your strength didn¡¯t necessarily make you stronger nor did increasing your wisdom make you smarter or wiser. They were numerical representations of your adaptability to the system.


    Leveling up didn¡¯t result in a physical change, not directly. Physically demanding classes like fighters and archers naturally led to stronger and/or leaner physiques. But the stats did result in direct changes to how well skills and spells behaved. A rogue with a high agility stat could employ skills faster than their colleagues. A knight with a higher endurance didn¡¯t suddenly have thicker skin, but they could take more hits from spells and monster skills.


    But it was the mental strain that players faced that was most cause for concern. Magic-users were faced with mana sickness, a prolonged period of weakness caused by overexerting themselves.


    While a long period of rest was the simplest cure for mana sickness, there was no cure for the zerk that fighters were prone to. Berserk, or ¡°zerk¡± for short, was a mental ailment that most fighter classes were susceptible to. No one was sure how the affliction could take root, but it resulted in players so lost to bloodlust that they would fight anything or anyone in their vicinity.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Every cadet at the Academy had heard horror stories of players who had been afflicted. Most lived nearly their entire lives in a lucid-state, but every battle brought on the possibility of entering a berserker rage.


    The cause was still unknown, but it was common knowledge that certain classes were immune to the sickness. The shield knight for one, the monk for another. Fighters, brawlers, and even some knight classes were all susceptible to the zerk. There was no guarantee that he wasn¡¯t.


    Am I losing my mind? Jinyoung thought to himself.


    His thoughts were interrupted by a firm grip on his shoulder.


    Youngho gave him what he hoped would be interpreted as a reassuring squeeze. The old man¡¯s eyes flicked from Jinyoung to Henry before settling on Hana.


    Jinyoung nodded and turned his attention back to the Frenchman and drew in a deep breath. [Scan].


    [Player Details]


    Name: Henry Pion


    Class: Shadow Walker


    Level: 61


    Curren.t affiliations: Cha Bell Corporation


    Clan: formerly of the Blooded Blade


    Titles: Arena Champion, Slayer, Last One Standing, Player Killer


    ***


    Henry laughed.


    ¡°Madam, these are property of the Cha Bell Corporation,¡± he said gesturing to the drive and research sample. ¡°And as a duly represented representative of the Cha Bell Corporations I-¡±


    ¡°You can go to hell,¡± Hana cut in. ¡°Because you¡¯re sure as shit not getting out of here with either of those.¡±


    The girl¡¯s hand drifted down to the hilt of her sword. Based on what he¡¯d seen of her, she was likely to give him the most trouble. The old man was far past his prime and the boy could barely look him in the eye.


    He toyed with the idea of taking on the three of them here and now, but the chances of the research sample or the drive itself being damaged was too great. His superiors had been clear about his mission and while he was willing to sacrifice Seunghyo or a hundred others like him, he wouldn¡¯t receive his payment without the drive and sample.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can work this out,¡± he said coyly. ¡°There must be some arrangement we can come to.¡±


    From their angle, they couldn¡¯t see the screen of the computer. It blinked and flashed with multiple progress bars appearing, filling, and then disappearing.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long now.


    Henry smiled. ¡°This is a simple matter, where¡¯s Seunghyo? I¡¯m sure he can explain it to you.¡±


    The girl drew her sword and pointed it at Henry. ¡°Let me explain it to you in terms you¡¯ll understand. Shut up and hand us the drive and the sample.¡±


    The screen blinked and all the windows disappeared, replaced by a single query.


    WARNING: Gate overload may result in structural collapse. Confirm?


    Henry put his hands together in faux concern before speaking. ¡°Perhaps, we can¡¯t work this out.¡±


    He let his hands fall naturally and brushed his fingers across the screen.


    Confirm

 Cradle of Ice (13)

    As a No Class skill, [scan] was considered by most to be the most useless. Whereas [dash] and [charge] had obvious and immediate uses in battle, [scan] rarely presented any information that couldn¡¯t be gleaned on one¡¯s own. And while it allowed players to predict attacks, so did paying attention to your opponent¡¯s footwork or weight distribution.


    Most importantly, there were other skills available that had obvious improvements on it. [Libra] was an arcane skill available to mages which presented important data like weaknesses, remaining health, and remaining mana. [Hunter¡¯s eye] highlighted weak and strong points on enemies.


    Based on what he¡¯d seen until now, it was only a matter of time until Jinyoung¡¯s [scan] skill offered him the same benefits of most if not all other similar skills.


    Outside of battle, [scan] was quite boring and the upgrade he had earned seemed like a useless addition compared to the ability to detect lies. But, now¡­


    Player Killer.


    Jinyoung¡¯s blood ran cold.


    By the time Jinyoung had become a cadet, the PK practice had been outlawed for years. The memory or mention of it was a black mark on humanity.


    The organization of clans and hunting parties came about relatively quickly after the Break. Humanity had just suffered the greatest loss of life in history and its immediate response was to come together to protect one another.


    But after a time, players discovered that hunting monsters and completing quests wasn¡¯t the only way to progress. Killing other players resulted in a significant increase to one¡¯s stats as well as experience to level up.


    It also resulted in a mark that could not be removed.


    When the practice was at its peak, nearly 40% of all players were marked as ¡°PK¡±. It wasn¡¯t until the Player Society was formed that the practice was heavily discouraged. Soon, guilds and clans no longer welcomed marked players and merchants would no longer trade with players suspected of engaging in PK. Eventually, corporations removed marked players from their active player lists.


    With the exception of players in his father¡¯s generation, there were few if any PK marked players. The practice of killing other players in order to progress faster was essentially disallowed.


    Jinyoung couldn¡¯t keep this to himself. He¡¯s marked, Hana.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The reaction was immediate. Hana flinched, but tried to recover.


    ¡°Do I scare you, my dear?¡± Henry taunted.


    To her benefit, Hana¡¯s face never faltered. ¡°Just a shiver, some of us can still feel cold.¡±


    The shadow walker shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°I don¡¯t miss it. If anything, [warmth] was worth all the trouble of becoming a [rogue].¡±


    Jinyoung could hear the edge in the man¡¯s voice. Every word dripped with poison and each motion he made made Jinyoung want to act. He finally realized why the sight of Henry affected him so. Everything about the man telegraphed one undeniable truth: the man was a killer.


    He¡¯s buying time, Hana.


    Hana smiled, but talking to Jinyoung in clan chat at the same time as Henry was a strain.


    So are we. By now, the others should be on their way down. Every second we wait here, our backup gets closer to joining us.


    A sudden rumble made Jinyoung turn his head, temporarily taking his eyes off Henry. The control center had a wall lined with windows facing an open lab. The cradle sat underneath the gate which appeared like a blackhole, bending and tearing the fabric of reality.


    The gate sparked and bolts of energy sparked off it, striking the distant walls and even bouncing off the reinforced windows. For a moment, the light held his attention like a trance. And then he realized his mistake.


    Jinyoung turned his head and immediately moved to draw his sword. But it was too late, Henry¡¯s hand was already streaking across his body and a dagger was hurtling through the air.


    ***


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    The duo moved quickly and quietly. And while the question was certainly asked and heart, it wasn¡¯t answered.


    ¡°Have you tried clan chat?¡± Seunghyo tried again, this time with a hint of annoyance. The catwalk was left behind and Seunghyo peered down the tunnels leading to the cradle. He tried not to think of the last time he was down here. He¡¯d barely made it out alive and spent the next two days being hunted.


    Meanwhile, Willow did her best to block out Seunghyo¡¯s voice. About twenty minutes ago, a marker appeared along with a quest notification. It had to be Jinyoung, she reasoned. Nothing at the Academy had prepared her for half of what she¡¯d seen with Hana and Jinyoung, family drama included.


    ¡°It has to be this way.¡±


    That was enough for Seunghyo. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving then.¡±


    Seunghyo¡¯s senses were heightened in the silent tunnels. His eyes looked for movement while his ears tried to pick out sounds that didn¡¯t belong.


    The pathfinder class was technically an ambush class. Enhanced senses meant he could detect enemies at long distances while his active skills were specifically designed to take advantage of unknowing enemies.


    In that sense, he wasn''t very different from shadow walkers. But, whereas pathfinders were hunters, shadow walkers were assassins. For that reason, Seunghyo had always avoided working with Henry. It wasn¡¯t just the man¡¯s immoral attitude, it was that their classes were unnervingly similar. And being reminded of his similarities to a murderer wasn¡¯t appealing.


    ¡°What¡¯s he like?¡± Willow finally asked.


    Seunghyo hestitated. Henry was a predator, through and through. The few conversations they had shared felt like interrogations. Like the man was digging for weaknesses or advantages.


    ¡°Dangerous,¡± Seunghyo replied. ¡°Shadow walkers are close-quarters combatants. They specialize in assassinations, but also uneven combat against superior numbers and these corridors are exactly where you don¡¯t want to deal with them.¡±

 Cradle of Ice (14)

    Youngho''s reaction was immediate, throwing his weight forward and trying to get every bit of momentum he could. His knees screamed, but the dagger¡¯s aim was true.


    If he was lucky, he¡¯d be able to catch the dagger but he could tell immediately that it was spinning too quickly for that. Instead, he felt the dull weight slam into his hand as the black dagger hit his palm, blade first and sank into the hilt.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Jinyoung exclaimed.


    It started as a dull throb, but was soon replaced by an intense pain that felt nearly like a burning sensation. Quickly, he pulled the dagger from his palm and let it drop to the floor where it shattered like glass.


    Meanwhile, Hana was already running towards Henry, moving between the rows of workstations with her shield raised and sword ready. On a level playing field, fighters and rogues are evenly matched. But this wasn¡¯t a level playing field.


    The shadow walker deftly vaulted backwards over a table, easily moving out of the way as Hana¡¯s sword cut through a block of electronics sending up a shower of sparks.


    Two black daggers cut deadly swaths but instead of backing away, Hana had already raised her shield and was sprinting straight at her opponent. The black blades bounced harmlessly off her shield and Hana swung her shield trying to catch Henry on the wide surface. When he dodged that, she followed up quickly with short swings of her sword.


    Each strike looked like it would hit before the shadow walker slid out of the way sending the blades swinging harmlessly through the air.


    Damn, he¡¯s fast!


    Hana tried to push in with her shield once more, but Henry caught it on the edge of his short blade. And then, in a surprising show of forced, he pushed her shield back with the flat of the same blade.


    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡± Henry remarked, twirling his weapon in one hand. ¡°I found it years ago in the possession of a fighter before I relieved him of it.¡±


    Jinyoung? Hana called out.


    Shadow Clone Edge Blade


    Req. Stats: STR: 15, AGI: 46


    The blade can be copied at will to create


    short-lived duplicates (Shadow Clones).This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Attributes: Shadow Clone


    As if to make his point, Henry swung the blade in front of him. While he neve loosened his grip on the handle, a black dagger flew out striking Hana¡¯s shield and shattering before it could hit the ground.


    I need to close the distance before he creates more copies!


    Again, Hana tried to press closer to Henry but he was too fast. Whenever Hana was close enough to strike, he would step just outside her range. But the room wasn¡¯t much bigger than a mid-sized office and thanks to some thoughtful footwork, Hana was pressing her opponent into the corner.


    She swung a wild arc with her shield pressing the shadow walker sideways into an aisle of workstations and computers. Before he could react, Hana followed up with a quick but deep thrust. Unable to move backwards quickly enough to get out of range, Henry opted to jump sideways into the next aisle.


    Hana reacted quickly and spun around, swinging her short sword in an arc up. The workstation exploded, sending up chunks of plastic and metal. Henry smirked and was about to say something about the shield knight¡¯s aim, but before he could open his mouth, his opponent pushed her shield forward.


    [Shield bash].


    The force of the blow hit the shards of plastic, glass and metal in midair, sending them flying at a hundred miles per hour straight at Henry.


    He dove sideways, but he could still feel some shrapnel cut through his coat and slice open his skin underneath.


    ***


    Jinyoung tied a strip of cloth he¡¯d ripped from his jacket around Youngho¡¯s hand. It bled profusely, more than any cut rightfully should. He held the makeshift bandage tight and waited for the bleeding to subside. But if anything, the bleeding only slowed and didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°He¡¯s a rogue, Jinyoung. A lethal one by the looks of it.¡±


    The monk examined his hand and flexed it, feeling the wetness spread underneath. Youngho winced. The sharp pain of the cut was settling into a dull throb. But, worryingly, the initial burning sensation was spreading through his hand and moving up his wrist.


    ¡°Something wrong, old man?¡± His voice was tinged with worry and concern.


    Youngho flashed the boy a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, we need to get in there and help Hana.¡±


    Shraakkk!!


    The two of them watched as Hana tore through thirty pounds of plastic and metal before sending the shower of parts streaking towards their enemy.


    ¡°Should she be-¡±


    Jinyoung didn¡¯t finish his question before the remaining screens on the control room¡¯s workstations flashed red. Lines of code scrolled past the screens as some of them flickered and blink in and out.


    Outside, the familiar hum of the machinery was substituted with whirring and clicking. As if the gears were catching in place.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±


    Youngho turned to look out the window at the cradle. More importantly, the gate above the cradle was beginning to pulse and flash. The flashes came quicker and quicker like an old film camera until a burst of light temporarily blinded all of them. The world appeared like it was on fire for a moment until Youngho blinked the white spots away from his vision.


    ¡°Hana?¡± he yelled out.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, dad.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s that squirrelly bastard?¡±


    Jinyoung stood up and looked around. ¡°He¡¯s gone, we¡¯d better-¡±


    His voice trailed off as he stared through the windows. The cradle was still there, but it was obviously damaged. The gate above looked unstable, flashing intermittently with spouts of electricity striking the area around it.


    But that wasn¡¯t what concerned him the most. The most concerning this was the fully-armored and vaguely human warrior kneeling in front of the gate.

 Cradle of Ice (15)

    ¡°Go after him, we¡¯ll take care of the gate.¡±


    Hana hesitated. The thing outside in the laboratory was covered head to toe with armor. It stood up, showing its massive height. It looked, for lack of a better word, alien. Her father was an experienced warrior and Jinyoung had proven he was more than capable, but they hadn¡¯t stopped arguing since their reunion above ground.


    Before she could protest any further, Jinyoung shouted at her.


    ¡°Neither of us are going to stand a chance against him! If you¡¯re going to catch up, you need to go now!¡±


    With a grim nod, she printed from the room. Jinyoung was right, of course. Using [dash] he had a better chance of catching up to Henry, but there was no way he could stand up to him in single combat. Her father¡¯s hand was still bleeding heavily, likely a side effect of a rogue skill. At full strength, Youngho might be able to best most players in one-on-one combat, but Henry would undoubtedly exploit any advantage he could get.


    And whatever that thing next to the gate was, it wasn¡¯t likely any of them could take it on alone.


    She whispered a small prayer and set her mind to the task ahead of her. She had to find Henry and recover the samples of purified sin and the research drive.


    ***


    The lab outside the control room was the size of a large auditorium. It could¡¯ve been a lunch hall, or munitions warehouse. But the entire space was empty except for the center which held the cradle.


    Jinyoung kicked aside a few shards of glass before jumping over the window ledge and landing in the open space. It was even colder in here with the gate. Colder than it was above ground, somehow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t draw your sword,¡± Youngho whispered.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    He peered at the creature standing before them. It was well over six-feet tall, probably closer to seven. It had broad shoulders and long, almost lanky arms. Its legs were similarly long and thin. And its head, if you call it that, was almost triangular, ending in two points where its ears might¡¯ve been down to its chin. And, the entirety of it looked to be covered in gleaming armor.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t shown us any threat and I don¡¯t think we should either.¡±


    The armored figure¡¯s head turned and gauged its surroundings. It looked to be taking stock of the space before landing on Jinyoung and Youngho.


    ¡°Have you [scanned] it?¡± Youngho whispered.


    Jinyoung nodded. In fact, he scanned it shortly after he entered the room. It had returned a single word.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    [Error 404]


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he responded. ¡°Whatever it is, the system doesn¡¯t have an entry for it.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Jinyoung took a step forward. And then another. He took each step slowly, not to hide his movements but rather to call attention to them.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Youngho hissed.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not showing us any threat, I¡¯d like to return the favor in kind.¡±


    The two of them slowly made their way closer to the alien creature. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t look like anything they¡¯d seen before. Until now, the monsters and creatures spawned by the gates showed no signs of civilization or intelligence. Some creatures showed signs of battle intelligence, forming groups and executing strategies, but this thing was different. The presence of armor was especially surprising.


    ¡°Armor,¡± Jinyoung whispered. ¡°That isn¡¯t something monsters just have. It means someone had to find the materials for it, purify the elements, and actually forge it.¡±


    As they got closer, they could see that the armor was intricately detailed. There was scrollwork and etchings that rivalled the greatest artisan work by humans. But was also dented, scratched and showed signs of wear. Whatever this thing was, it had been through battles. A fair number of them, more than likely.


    Jinyoung stopped, leaving about 20 feet between them. He was about to ask Youngho for suggestions when he heard it.


    ¡°Estheymos giyan, cureya?¡±


    [New dialect detected]


    What the hell? Jinyoung looked at his adopted father who returned his gaze with wide eyes. Over the years, Youngho had seen monsters scream, screech and holler, but this thing had spoken. There was no mistaking it, this thing was a sentient creature.


    ¡°Kistabloth oreyas countania. Hesseth nirai noomko.¡±


    [Loading¡­]


    Youngho shook his head and pointed at his ear. ¡°We can¡¯t understand you.¡±


    The figure shook its head. And then, instead of speaking, it pointed and drew their attention to the cradle.


    ¡°Mindaly phrayeth casta. Arestundo kay duth, Volux.¡±


    [Loading dialect. Please wait.]


    ¡°Wait,¡± Jinyoung said. ¡°I understood that last word. It said, ¡®Volux.¡¯¡±


    The creature reacted immediately and stiffened at the word. It extended its long, armored hand before it and held it open. Out of nowhere, a beam of light came into existence until it was a solid object. The armored hand closed its fingers around it and swung it around into a fighting stance.


    ¡°A spear,¡± Youngho said in awe. It was a blindingly bright spear that looked like it was made purely out of light. But, by the way the creature handled it, it definitely had weight. And if it had weight, it had mass.


    ¡°Shit, I think I said the wrong thing,¡± Jinyoung whispered. His hand fell to his sword hilt and the creature reacted immediately.


    ¡°Isthaya, umio. Tikeya mo hand!¡±


    ¡°I think it wants us to put our hands up,¡± Jinyoung muttered, tightening his grip on his hilt.


    ¡°Do as it says,¡± Youngho hissed. ¡°We don¡¯t want to fight this thing unless we have to.¡±


    The monk raised both hands to shoulder height, leaving his palms open. But the motion didn¡¯t do much to assuage their mystery guest. Behind an armored helm, it scanned the two humans before stopping on Youngho.


    ¡°Defezo hand, lire pon.¡±


    The armored figure shifted its weight and adopted an aggressive stance, pointing its spear straight at Youngho. When it spoke next, Jinyoung was surprised to hear its message loud and clear.


    ¡°I will cut your hand or your throat, you choose.¡±


    <blockquote>


    QUEST: CRADLE of Ice (UNIQUE)


    <ul>


    <li>


    Destroy the research drive


    </li>


    <li>


    Destroy samples of purified SIN


    </li>


    <li>


    Destroy the CRADLE and close the GATE


    </li>


    </ul>


    Reward: None.


    Failure: Failure to close the gate will result in an outbreak.


    </blockquote>

 Cradle of Ice (16)

    [Hostile detected.]


    Thanks for the update, Jinyoung thought.


    The spear wasn¡¯t just blindingly bright, it was blindingly fast thanks to the hands wielding it. For something that was completely clad in armor, it moved quickly and attacked hard.


    As soon as it ¡°drew¡± its spear, Youngho stepped left and Jinyoung stepped right. Basic battle tactics against a more powerful enemy was to split your opponent¡¯s attention and throw it off-balance.


    At first, it seemed to be working.


    While Jinyoung had never fought alongside his adoptive father, the man had trained him from an early age. And through months of training, he had honed movement, attack and defensive maneuvers with the old man.


    So instinctively, Jinyoung could see his own movements mirrored in Youngho and vice versa. The second Youngho stepped in to deliver a flurry of punches, Jinyoung knew to back up and circle around to attack from a different angle. And as soon as Jinyoung moved in, Youngho stepped out of the way to give him the leeway to swing wildly without worrying about friendly fire.


    It should¡¯ve been perfect.


    But each strike was turned away with simple parries or exceedingly strong blocks. Together, Jinyoung and Youngho attacked with increasing strength and with a wide variety. But each swing of the sword was easily stopped while Youngho¡¯s fists were pushed aside. And with each encounter, the figure didn¡¯t attack. Jinyoung could feel it watching from behind its fully armored helm.


    Jinyoung [dashed] back. Under normal circumstances, a short retreat would only have bought him a few seconds. A minute at most. But the armored creature didn¡¯t close the distance. It simply stood and watched, holding its spear made of light in a ready position.


    Soon, Jinyoung¡¯s anger got the better of him and he cried out, ¡°Fight back, damn you!¡±


    It was almost imperceptible. So slight that he barely caught it, but the masked helm tilted slightly, almost as if in recognition.


    ¡°[Scan].¡±


    [(oading¡­]


    ¡°Got anything?¡± Youngho asked.


    Jinyoung shook his head in response, sending cold sweat flying off his face. Battles had a natural rhythm to them. One moment you could be conserving your energy and the next, you¡¯d expend it on an attack or a parry. But attacking non-stop like they had for the past 10 minutes was exhausting.


    ¡°How¡¯s your hand?¡± Jinyoung asked, pointing at the bandages.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The old man flexed his hand. Earlier, it had felt stiff and his wound burned. The burning sensation remained, but the stiffness had abated. If anything, he felt fine. ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle. You rested enough boy?¡±


    Jinyoung cocked an eyebrow and shot Youngho a grin. ¡°Me? You¡¯re the one who can¡¯t keep up!¡±


    Youngho laughed in return. A barking hoarse laugh that Jinyoung hadn¡¯t heard in years.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanna hear, boy!¡±


    ***


    The corridors went on endlessly, but Hana pumped her feet and ran as hard as she could. She¡¯d given up on listening for any footsteps aside from her own. More than likely, the slippery rogue had something to hide his own movements and sounds.


    For the first few minutes, she had followed the marker in her vision. She could see it moving slightly from side to side as the corridor bent at a slight angle or twisted slightly. But now, the marker was completely gone from her vision.


    I think I¡¯m closing in on him, she called out.


    The marker only appeared when they were further away from their target. But within a given range, the marker disappeared from view. The fact that Hana couldn¡¯t see the marker at all meant that she was closing in on the Frenchman.


    We¡¯re approaching the main silo bay!


    There wasn¡¯t a response, but she hadn¡¯t expected one. Whatever her brother and father were fighting, it would require everything from both of them. And as far as Willow, she could only pray that where she was, Seunghyo was there to protect her.


    Sunbae!


    Hana was jolted from her trance. Willow? Where are you?


    Seunghyo and I are heading down the main silo to you. There was something glowing until-


    She didn¡¯t get to finish her thought before Hana cut her off. The marker is for the research drive and the sample of sin. Henry has them! How far out are you?


    She had barely spoken the words before she saw them heading towards her.


    ¡°Right here, sunbae!¡± Willow said excitedly, waving her arms as she ran.


    ¡°Hold it right there!¡±


    Hand slid to a stop and scanned her surroundings. The corridor was plain and faceless. There were no doors along this hall, only the entrance at the main silo and the door leading to the control room where she had come from.


    ¡°He had to have come this way!¡± she shouted. ¡°Keep your guard up!¡±


    Seunghyo unsheathed the short sword he had found in the rubble above ground. He had long since run out of arrows and left the bow behind. ¡°Look for a shadow! The bastard can blend in if the shadow¡¯s big enough.¡±


    The corridor¡¯s lighting was brighter than the emergency lights that had been placed throughout the north. But aside from a few crates and some discarded machinery, there wasn¡¯t much here to cast a shadow.


    ¡°Okay, so what do we do if we find a shadow?¡± Willow asked.


    Seunghyo shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m out of arrows, but you could blast it with a spell-¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish the thought before two daggers launched out of a shadow behind a rusting table. The only warning was the slight rush of wind before Seunghyo pushed Willow to the ground. Another dagger flew out, but Seunghyo knew what to expect. He swung the short sword and batted the dagger harmlessly away.


    Meanwhile, Hana ran in and aimed for the shadow.


    ¡°[Shield bash]!¡±


    The table flew up from the force of the skill and a man tumbled out of the shadow. His body slammed against the wall with a whumpf before sliding along the smooth floor.

 Cradle of Ice (17)

    ¡°Let¡¯s try something different!¡± Youngho shouted. ¡°Follow my lead.¡±


    He was loath to do so, but Jinyoung nodded. The armored figure was repelling every single attack they could throw at it with absolutely ease. Youngho rushed in with a [charged strike] aimed perfectly at center mass. Until now, Jinyoung would¡¯ve lined up behind their opponent and attacked from the opposite direction hoping to split its attention. But each attempt at a pincer attack had failed, so instead Jinyoung lined up directly behind the monk and readied his own attack.


    For a brief moment, Jinyoung saw two options open to him: he could continue forward and launch a direct thrust or [dash] past the monster to launch an attack from behind.


    Launching a back attack felt like the best option, as the first option wasn¡¯t any different from what they had been trying until now. But any momentum he had now would be lost when he [dashed] behind the monster guaranteeing that he would lose milliseconds changing directions in order to attack.


    It¡¯s like the old man said, he thought. We should try something different.


    Youngho¡¯s [charged strike] was deftly pushed aside and Jinyoung came up directly behind the monk. But instead of attacking the monster directly, he aimed for the spear. And just before he made contact, he [charged].


    The impact was explosive. Jinyoung barely kept his grip on his own sword, but the force knocked him backwards. When he was finally back on his feet, the spear was nowhere to be seen. The armored creature was still on its feet, but just barely. It staggered a bit before righting itself.


    ¡°What the hell was that, boy? And why didn¡¯t you do it sooner?¡±


    Jinyoung¡¯s lungs were burning. It wasn¡¯t just the sensation of having the wind knocked out of them, it was as if they were filled to bursting with ice. Each breath felt like his body was burning from the inside out, but the feeling lessened with each one.


    ¡°The spear,¡± he finally said. ¡°We have to attack the spear.¡±


    Again, the figure raised an armored hand and summoned the weapon back.


    ***


    ¡°Willow! Behind you!¡±


    The shadow walker moved swiftly and threw another dagger. Willow was barely able to move out of the way in time. She fired off an [arcane shot], but Henry simply stepped backwards into the shadows. When the spell hit the same spot a split second later, it fizzled and left a scorched mark on the wall.


    ¡°Nice try,¡± a disembodied voice said, echoing in the corridor. ¡°But the three of you are out of your league here.¡±


    Hana laughed. ¡°Say that to my face.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Seunghyo¡¯s eyes darted around the environment, looking for any sign of something that looked out of place. Contrary to popular belief, shadow walkers didn¡¯t ¡°disappear¡± into the shadows. Their skills allowed them to camouflage their appearance, but no camouflage was perfect.


    ¡°Keep your eyes open,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Frenchman¡¯s voice said. ¡°Keep those pretty eyes open. It¡¯s such a pleasure to finally meet you Hana. Seunghyo¡¯s said so much about you to the company. It¡¯s a shame we had to meet under such circumstances.¡±


    Seunghyo bristled. The fact that the murderer was so casually taunting Hana enraged him. But he had to keep his composure. The angrier he was, the more likely he was to overlook something.


    Then, he saw it. A shadow with a strange angle that bent the wrong way ever so slightly. There was no way to tell what he was striking at, but Seunghyo had to take the chance.


    Clang!


    The edge of his short sword was caught against the blade and hilt of a dark, but intricate and ornate dagger.


    Henry¡¯s face slowly came into view, and with it a hateful scowl. ¡°Lucky guess.¡±


    From the corner of his eye, he saw Hana move to press the advantage and reacted quickly. With the wave of his hand, a black dagger jetted out towards Willow. Hana moved sideways and lifted her shield to quickly block for the novice spellcaster.


    Seunghyo pushed on the sword and created an opening for himself, kicking hard and catching his opponent just below the ribs. Henry rolled back and slid into a shadow, disappearing once more.


    ¡°What? No more quips, Henry?¡± Seunghyo taunted.


    ***


    After pushing in and destroying its spear once more, Youngho was able to avoid the resulting knockback and land a [charged strike]. The blow was perfect, striking the space between armor plates where it would (theoretically) do the most damage.


    In fact, the old man was moving faster and striking harder than Jinyoug had seen until now. It was almost as if he had gotten his second wind.


    But, as a direct result, the creature took notice of their increased threat and responded in kind.


    Whatever this thing was, it wielded the spear as if it weighed nothing. But blocking one or two strikes reassured Jinyoung that it had mass enough to hit like a hammer.


    Youngho was still able to parry and avoid a significant number of attacks, but the spear moved too quickly. More than once, the strikes had come from unexpected angles and caught the monk unawares resulting in cuts to his arms and sides.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Jinyoung [dashed] in and tackled Youngho just in time to avoid seeing his former guardian¡¯s arm being lopped off.


    [Attack incoming.]


    The spear came so close that it blinded Jinyoung¡¯s vision temporarily. He kicked out hard and felt his foot strike armor. The creature didn¡¯t budge, but Jinyoung used it as an anchor and pushed off as hard as he could.


    He was blindly aware of himself spinning through the air, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. Instead, he tucked his arms in and felt the air leave his lungs when fell flat on his back and slid a few feet.


    Jinyoung blinked rapidly until a field of white slowly settled into bright spots in his vision. He did his best to rub his eyes and could vaguely feel a layer of frost had settled on his skin.


    The spear, he thought. It¡¯s ice.


    He¡¯d assumed, not incorrectly, that the spear was made out of energy. But according to the system, all energy had a bias. All players learned about it, either in classes or in the field. The four main biases were related to naturally occurring elements: electricity, fire, ice and earth. Outside of that, there were additional biases like the arcane and dark, but they were only useful for magic-users or elementalists.


    If the spear was made out of energy biased towards the ice element, then it stood to reason that the one wielding that power had the same bias. And it also followed, that the creature fighting them wasn¡¯t just imbued with its bias¡¯ power, but also its weaknesses.


    Willow! We could use your help here!

 Cradle of Ice (18)

    Eunice closed her eyes against the wind. She could smell the smoke for the past three miles, but now the scent was getting stronger. It was a mixture of burning concrete and machine oil.


    ¡°Keep your head down and move quickly,¡± she whispered.


    Heejin tried to listen to whatever had set Eunice off, but he heard nothing. Just the empty whistle of the wind. The terrain here was icy and uneven. Hills rose up out of nowhere and the rocky terrain was just as difficult to cross as the mountains to the west.


    Instinctively, he looked to those same giant formations of rock and shivered. Four other scouts had been ordered out east and west, but none who had ventured west had returned.


    Heejin had only returned so quickly because he saw the army of players at a distance a day earlier. He followed them for hours until he had ventured further than his orders allowed.


    When he reported back, the commander tasked him with an escort mission: the technomancer wanted to see the army for herself. He had expected the assignment to be a chore, but was surprised to find that the VIP not only kept up with his pace, she took the lead.


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am. If you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± he whispered. ¡°What is the class-line for a technomancer?¡±


    For a moment, he wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d heard him. She kept moving and didn¡¯t turn around, acknowledge him, or his question in any way. When he¡¯d all but given up, she turned around and looked him right in the eye.


    ¡°That¡¯s classified.¡±


    There was no humor in her voice and no kindness in her eyes. She said it as a matter of fact.


    They moved for hours in silence until they finally saw it. Eunice was grateful that there were no questions because she, in fact, had no answers she was at liberty to share.


    Instead, she focused her attention on the environment.


    The system fed her a constant feed of information. From the temperature to the atmospheric pressure, but the only information she actually cared about was absent.


    System access, she whispered.


    Access granted.


    Command?


    Run scan.


    Scanning¡­


    Activity detected.


    Eunice¡¯s eyes widened and she held up a hand before kneeling down. She turned back to her guide.


    ¡°Scout ahead and see how much further we need to move.¡±


    Heejin nodded vigorously and quickly moved forward. Eunice waited until he disappeared over a rocky outcropping before continuing.


    Details, she commanded.


    Hostile entities¡­ detected.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Active players¡­ detected.


    [Unknown]... detected.


    ¡°Unknown?¡± she wondered aloud.


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Everything she had encountered in the world could be categorized as either a hostile or a player. But according to the system, she¡¯d come across something that couldn¡¯t be categorized as either.


    [Warmth] kept the chill out, but she shivered nonetheless. As the country¡¯s only technomancer, she was privy to intel that others weren¡¯t. Director Seah made certain that Eunice had unprecedented access to most, if not all, the information that came into the Player Society. But this was the first time she came up against something that felt wrong.


    The scout¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts and shook her from her trance. ¡°We¡¯re here, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Heejin led her ahead another 50 feet until they reached a rocky outcropping. He held out a hand, but Eunice brushed it aside making her way nimbly up on her own.


    Eunice had seen destruction before, but it was another thing to see it in such a wanton state. The city was less a metropolis and more a loosely packed set of structures, but none of the structures were intact. Most had fallen over or partially collapsed giving plenty of fuel for fires to rage. Some embers still fumed, but anything that could burn had finished hours ago leaving behind the remnants of a city.


    ¡°What do you think caused all this, ma¡¯am?¡±


    There was no use in answering him. ¡°Report back to the Director. Tell her things are bad and we¡¯re going to need a cleanup team right away.¡±


    Tell her?


    The scout looked at Eunice with wide eyes. ¡°And you, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ***


    Without a fire stone or anything to enhance her spells, the effects of [ember] were short lived. The jet of flame sputtered and flew out 10 feet before dissipating in the air. It was just too cold and the creature she was aiming at was too fast.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s helping much!¡±


    ¡°No, keep it up!¡± Jinyoung shouted.


    Every time Willow shot a burst of flame at their opponent, it stepped back. Once or twice, it punched through the flames an armored fist, but it never blocked with its spear. And every time it did so, it left itself open to one of Jinyoung or Youngho¡¯s attacks.


    By all rights, the creature should¡¯ve been able to wipe the floor with them, but they were pushing it back. Each burst of flame was followed by a [charged strike] from Youngho or a cut from Jinyoung. Bit by bit, they were able to land significant strikes.


    ¡°Move it, boy!¡± Youngho growled. ¡°We¡¯ve got this!¡±


    The burning sensation in his hand had spread to his arm, but rather than pain it felt invigorating. At first, he thought he had simply grown numb to the cold, but now he actually felt warmth. For the first time since he arrived in the north, Youngho felt a burning heat in his whole body. Almost like a fever.


    The spear swung in quickly, but his hands were there to meet it. He could¡¯ve easily parried it and made use of his monk skills, but instead he struck the spear shaft. The force of it knocked the armored creature back and stunned it long enough that Youngho could follow it up with a brutal strike to its midsection.


    The bandage around his right hand was loosening, but the bleeding had staunched and he felt stronger than ever.


    ¡°Take this you bastard!¡±


    Youngho stepped forward and punched with all his might. His joints no longer felt heavy and his form was perfect, much like it was when he first became a fighter. The strike was a powerful one and sounded a loud clang that echoed in the lab.


    The armored figure was thrown back and momentarily stunned by the force of the blow. Slowly, it stood up and lifted its hand. But instead of reforming its spear, it simply pointed at the monk. Youngho moved to press his advantage when a hand caught his shoulder and stopped him.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Jinyoung asked. Youngho whirled on him and for a moment, Jinyoung thought the old man might hit him.


    ¡°When you hit them, your fist glowed,¡± he continued. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you do that.¡±


    Youngho was about to tell him off when he saw Willow¡¯s face. The young girl¡¯s face was creased with concern and worry. She pointed down at his right hand.


    ¡°Sir, take off the bandage.¡±


    Instinctively, Youngho flexed his hand. He couldn¡¯t feel the pain from the dagger earlier, but the burning remained. Slowly, he undid the bandages and looked down at his hand.


    ¡°Jinyoung?¡± he murmured.


    [SIN detected.]

 Cradle of Ice (19)

    Henry couldn¡¯t remember the last time he tasted a coppery tang in his mouth.


    Most of his missions with Cha Bell were carefully planned affairs. It was rare that he ever saw battle. Rarer still for his targets to see him coming, at least not until it was too late.


    He wiped the blood from his lip and picked himself up off the floor.


    Seunghyo¡¯s eyes had picked him out of the shadows. It was nearly impossible, but not unexpected. During their time together, Henry had grown fond of the boy. He¡¯d proven himself more than capable and had a strong moral standard which commanded respect even if Henry only offered it begrudgingly.


    The three of them watched him carefully.


    As they should, he thought to himself. He rose up slowly, but it was a show. The blow hadn¡¯t stunned him and he wasn¡¯t hurt in the least. He had contingencies if one or all of them pushed in on him. In fact, he had been hoping for it.


    Henry was in his element. It¡¯d been weeks of fighting the frozen players in the icy wastes or the more deadly monsters from the man-made gate underground. The frostbitten posed no real threat in smaller numbers, but they were dull and uninteresting creatures. The monsters, on the other hand, were decidedly deadlier and more difficult for Henry to face-off against.


    But living players, especially Seunghyo and his ilk were what he was made for.


    The youngest of the three stepped forward and held up a hand. It glowed momentarily before launching a magic spell directly at him.


    The spell was a puny thing, meant for bigger and slower opponents. Henry side-stepped it easily and launched himself at the girl with [double step]. He was quick, faster than the girl had realized based on her lack of a reaction.


    The dagger at his side was in front of him in one motion, poised to run his target through before-


    Wham!


    The skill hit him with such force that it cancelled out his own momentum and pushed him backwards into the wall. His body moved instinctively and he slid sideways away from his opponents straight into a shadow.


    [Shadow cover] concealed him in the darkness, camouflaging him to his opponents. It was a simple and effective tool for assassins, but lesser known was its secondary effect. He stepped clear of the shadow and moved into another, then another. The effects dissipated if he attacked or was attacked, but there was a delay when he stepped out a shadow. Just long enough for him to move from cover to cover.


    He watched as Seunghyo walked right past him. He could easily reach out and plunge a dagger into the man¡¯s breast, but the shield knight was close. Maybe he was quick enough to avoid her counter-attack or maybe she would be so shocked by her former lover¡¯s death that he could disappear into another shadow. Maybe not.


    He let the pathfinder move away and waited for an opening. The three of them were well-trained, even the young magic-user. They stayed in a tight formation without any gaps or too much distance between them. If Henry made a move to engage one at close range, the other two could easily cut him down.


    Of course, Henry didn¡¯t need to attack at close range. He held the handle of his dagger with both hands and pulled. His left hand came away with the dagger while his right came away with a copy. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Boo,¡± he whispered. He couldn¡¯t help himself, it was just too much fun.


    The dagger took flight and cut through the air, directly at the young scholar. It clattered harmlessly against the knight¡¯s shield who held it out just in time to defend her young ward.


    ¡°There¡¯s more where that came from.¡±


    With each wave of his hand, Henry sent a dagger flying at the trio. Each one was blocked by a shield or cut down by a short sword before it reached its intended target.


    ¡°Willow!¡± the shield knight shouted.


    ¡°On it!¡± the young girl returned. And without another word, she was off, down the tunnel towards the control room Henry had just come from.


    For a moment, Henry just stood there. It wasn¡¯t often that his opponents took off mid-fight whether in terror or otherwise.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°The old man and the onion knight. Ha!¡±


    On his way out of the control room, he looked back just long enough to see a large armored figure drop out of the gate. Whatever it was, it looked formidable. And based on how quickly the girl had run off, he was right.


    ¡°Is that wise?¡± he taunted. ¡°The three of you had trouble enough and now¡­¡±


    Hana lifted her shield so that the lip was just below eye level and Seunghyo stepped back so that his shoulder was behind hers, giving him partial cover from her shield.


    The Frenchman¡¯s voice trailed off as his mouth went dry. With the young magic-user, the trio had been well-trained but unseasoned. The way that Seunghyo and his ex-wife were constantly moving back to protect and defend their young assistant was admirable, but she was their weakness. And now, she¡¯d taken herself out of the equation.


    Neither spoke a word, but they moved in tandem. Henry sent one, two, three daggers in their direction but each one clattered harmlessly against the shield. Before he can put any distance between them, Seunghyo¡¯s short sword thrusts through and comes within inches of running him through. The dagger met the sword¡¯s point and turned it away, but the impact was enough to pull Henry out of line.


    Shit.


    The shield knight¡¯s attack is no less furious. A nasty chop meant to lop his head off. Henry heard the air run along the metal blade edge as it swept past his ear.


    The two of them made a good team. Henry was having trouble finding openings to attack, but worse still, he wasn¡¯t able to step into any shadows and disappear. The knight stepped forward and cut a wide arc, her sword glowing. He dodged with space to spare, but the sword cut a chunk out of the wall. Before he could respond, Seunghyo was on him, making a flurry of light strikes meant to push him back.


    Merde! He cursed himself for his foolishness. The girl had been their singular weak point and without her, they would eventually tire him or corner him.


    He was out of options.


    Henry used [double step] to put some space between himself and his pursuers. From experience, he knew it would buy him less than a second, but it was enough time to dig into his coat pocket and produce the only two things that would allow him to get away.


    The research drive and unmarked steel cylinder clattered onto the floor.


    ¡°Is that-?¡±


    One thing Henry had learned was where to look. Monsters, dangerous though they were, had little to no intelligence. You could keep your eyes on their hands and feet to see where they were going, how they would attack. People were different. With people, you watched their eyes.


    Two pairs of eyes focused on the research drive and the sample case. By the time they looked back up, Henry had already wrapped himself in the shadows and felt the tug of his [shadow step].


    ***


    ¡°Godammit!¡±


    Hana realized what was happening too late. She pumped her legs hard to close the distance before the skill completed. [Shadow step] was a teleportation skill. It allowed its user to set an anchor point and then step into a shadow to instantly teleport there. It had been how her party had been captured when Seunghyo betrayed them.


    But [shadow step] had a short delay before the skill completed. A moment when the caster would move through time and space, but could be followed.


    ¡°Hana, don¡¯t!¡±


    She heard him, but her mind had focused only on the man who had nearly killed her father and brother. Who had turned Seunghyo against her. For a brief moment, she was blinded by anger and rage.


    The dark shadowy portal quickly shrunk from view. Hana realized she wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it in time, but her momentum carried her forward. She was dimly aware of Seunghyo close behind her, trying to stop her.


    The inky blackness closed in on itself, but before it disappeared completely, she saw a slight glint of light flash into existence. A blinking light. No, a spinning object thrown back through the portal and directly at her.

 Cradle of Ice (20)

    Youngho¡¯s face was contorted in genuine shock and surprise.


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    The bandages he had wrapped his hand in were crusted with dried blood, but underneath, his hand was black. As if the skin had been dyed or dipped in dark ink. He flexed his hand while simultaneously removing the wrappings around his wrist and forearm.


    The cut from the dagger was healed over with barely a scar remaining, but the discoloration covered the entirety of his hand and stretched up his forearm, past the elbow.


    Willow¡¯s eyes were wide. She knew she¡¯d never seen anything like this, but it looked almost familiar. Almost instinctively, she reached out to examine the man¡¯s arm but Jinyoung grabbed her hands and held firm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it,¡± he said.


    [SIN detected.]


    Jinyoung¡¯s eyes were wide trying to focus on all the information the system was feeding him. The system was flashing multiple warnings along with errors. It was similar to the glitches he saw in the system when a sin monster was near, but one hundred times worse.


    On the surface, Youngho¡¯s arm looked otherwise unharmed. Almost as if the coloring was a cosmetic change, but [scan] showed something absolutely different. It reminded Jinyoung of Willow¡¯s mana swirl during the Seorak Outbreak. There was an intense flux of power churning in Youngho¡¯s hand. Compared to this, the mana that Willow generated when she cast spells looked like a candle. This was the sun.


    Youngho noticed his son¡¯s silent stare. ¡°What do you see?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain.¡± Jinyoung¡¯s eyes squinted as he tried to make sense of it. ¡°It¡¯s almost like your arm is producing mana, but that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does,¡± Willow interjected.


    Willow didn¡¯t have the same perception skills that Jinyoung had, but drawing power from the Fire Stone in the battle with the sin wraith had changed her. Almost as if she were capable of channeling more power than before. But more importantly, she could sense mana in large quantities. And right now, the power she sensed was greater than what she had drawn out of the Fire Stones.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is, but it¡¯s producing too much power to be natural,¡± she continued. ¡°It feels¡­ wrong.¡±


    A voice rang through the air, loud and angry. ¡°Khesta is Volux.¡±


    [Dialect loaded: Crey Achtek.]


    Jinyoung turned to look at the spearman behind them. It towered over all of them, but it made no move to strike. It watched, spear in hand. As if it were waiting to see what they were doing.


    ¡°Did that thing just speak?¡± Youngho muttered.


    A small wave of relief washed over Jinyoung when he realized he wasn¡¯t imagining things.


    ¡°Your arm,¡± it said. ¡°Khesta is Volux.¡±


    There was that word again. Volux.


    The armored figure didn¡¯t move to strike, but Jinyoung wasn¡¯t buying into the act. The thing had defended itself easily against himself and Youngho without breaking a sweat. Yes, they were able to get a few hits in with Willow¡¯s assistance, but it was definitely holding back.


    ¡°Horensi, are you with Volux?¡±


    He took a breath and spoke slowly, ¡°What is Volux?¡±


    His voice took on a tinny tone. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both Youngho and Willow wince. It sounded like feedback from a microphone or speaker.


    The figure hesitated, but eventually it dropped the spear it held on the ground. It clattered once before shattering into a thousands bright shards and fading away.


    It lifted a finger and pointed at Youngho¡¯s blackened arm. ¡°That is Volux. Kevenchi. Death.¡±


    Youngho chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that.¡±


    A burst of fire shot through his shoulder. At first, it had only been his hand, but now he could feel it in his biceps. Like pressure building slowly in his arm and spreading upward.


    ¡°Agh¡­!¡± The grunt escaped his lips unbidden. The pain was more intense followed by more burning, but it was more intense with the promise of getting worse.


    ¡°Whatever this is, it¡¯s getting worse,¡± he hissed through his teeth.


    Jinyoung carefully unwrapped the monk¡¯s arm and removed his jacket. In minutes, the black discoloration had gone from his forearm up, past his elbow. It was spreading.


    [SIN detected.]


    Sin.


    The realization hit Jinyoung hard.


    He looked the armored face in its eyes and wondered what kind of creature was inside the metal shell.


    ¡°Volux is sin?¡± he asked.


    Slowly, the cool metal face nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°Volux is sin.¡±

 Sin in the Family (1)

    ¡°Jinyoung¡­!¡±


    The old monk wobbled slightly before his knees buckled and he swayed precariously. Willow¡¯s cry was the only reason Jinyoung was able to reach the old man¡¯s side in time.


    Youngho struggled to stand. The burning had taken over his entire body and transformed into a fever. Whatever this was, his body was doing its best to fight it off like an infection. And by the progression of his symptoms, he was losing.


    His [scan] was beyond comprehension. Whatever had happened to Youngho, the system was absolutely losing it.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± he asked Willow.


    Unable to think of anything else, Willow placed a hand Youngho¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°He¡¯s burning up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡± Jinyoung asked hopefully. ¡°That means his body¡¯s fighting this thing off, right?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s too hot. Sin or no, his body¡¯s going to kill itself fighting the infection.¡±


    Willow raced through the options in her mind. They didn¡¯t have a medic here and there were no first aid supplies anywhere to be seen. The few supplies they brought with them were used or lost during previous battles.


    Think, Willow.


    A hand gripped her shoulder. Jinyoung¡¯s.


    He looked her straight in the eye and spoke one word. ¡°Frost.¡±


    It took her a minute to understand, but once she did, she nodded quickly.


    Willow practiced her spells for the past few weeks, enough to be relatively skilled in their usage. Enough to know that [shock] and [ember] were impossible to control. But [frost] could be tamed enough for use in situations like these. At least, she hoped so.


    Willow took in a deep breath and channeled mana to her hands. Slowly, she sculpted the raw energy into a cold, lifeless chill. In most circumstances, she would use this as a weapon against her opponents, but this time Willow needed to harness it to save a life.


    ¡°Hold him down, Jinyoung.¡±


    By now, the fever had transported Youngho into another world. He shut his eyes tightly and grimaced, quiet save for the occasional grunts that escaped his mouth. Jinyoung put his hands on the old man¡¯s shoulders and held him down.


    When enough mana had pooled into her hands, Willow tapered off the spell and focused on holding onto the power she had accumulated. Slowly and carefully, she placed one of her palms on Youngho¡¯s forehead.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    There was a slight sizzle of air as the cold mana met his feverish skin. All at once, Youngho¡¯s eyes flew open and he struggled under Jinyoung¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Hold him down!¡± Willow shouted.


    Jinyoung held fast and leaned his weight down until slowly, the struggles ceased. Youngho¡¯s expressed slowly relaxed as the cold fought the heat back and returned his body to a normal temperature.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long this is going to last,¡± Willow whispered between breaths. The [frost] wasn¡¯t a powerful and by necessity, it couldn¡¯t be. But holding a constant stream of mana was a tiring task. ¡°We don¡¯t even know how to stop this infection.¡±


    Jinyoung leaned back. ¡°You¡¯re right, we don¡¯t.¡±


    He turned his head to look at the tall figure that had quietly watched them. Their opponent made no move to interfere, but Jinyoung could see that it was also completely on its guard.


    Jinyoung opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the armored figure spun on its heel to face the gate and immediately summoned its spear.


    ¡°What the hell-¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish the thought. The gate flashed with chaotic energy until it grew blindingly bright and let off two tiny explosions. When the light faded, Jinyoung saw that six additional shapes had crossed the boundary of the gate from the other side.


    His [scan] told him what they were, but still he could scarcely believe how bad his luck was.


    ¡°Sin wraiths.¡±


    ***


    The tunnel wasn¡¯t very long, but Seunghyo was having trouble walking. Hana put his arm around her shoulder and did her best to shift his weight, but each step grew more difficult.


    ¡°Not exactly the reunion I had planned,¡± he mumbled.


    Hana sideways at him and Seunghyo flashed her the same boyish smile he had when they were at the Academy together.


    ¡°Oh, please. That doesn¡¯t work on me anymore.¡±


    He feigned surprise and held a hand to his chest. ¡°Whatever will I do?¡±


    Hana snickered as they limped on. The dagger wound to Seunghyo¡¯s shoulder wound had bled profusely before they were able to bandage it properly. But whatever curse or poison the shadow walker had used was an effective one. As time went on, Seunghyo found it harder and harder to walk until he was unable to do so unassisted.


    ¡°After everything I did to keep you out of this,¡± Seunghyo whispered. ¡°I just ended dragging you into my shit.¡±


    His shit.


    For years, Hana had resented herself. She had found it difficult to move on after Seunghyo had left her. And even after, part of her never did. The only solace she was able to find was by turning her sadness into anger. But now she had something that she¡¯d never had before. She had the truth.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how this works,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s our shit.¡±


    Seunghyo choked out a laugh. ¡°God, that¡¯s corny. But I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°Damn right you will.¡±


    They weren¡¯t far now. Just a few more minutes and Hana would deposit Seunghyo in the control room before joining the others in battle against the thing that had come through the gate.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing whatever Henry left behind was important?¡±


    Stupid! Hana thought to herself.


    In her haste to check on Seunghyo, she¡¯d forgotten to check the quest that they had taken on. The research drive was secure in her pocket along with the sample, but she could just as easily check on the status of the quest to see how the others were doing.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s-¡±


    Hana stopped. The quest status appeared before her but something had changed. The first requirement was the destruction of the research drive, but the second one had changed. Originally, it had read, Destroy samples of purified SIN, but now¡­


    QUEST: CRADLE of Ice (UNIQUE)


    Destroy the research drive


    Destroy SIN (0/2)


    Destroy the CRADLE and close the GATE


    Reward: None.

 Sin in the Family (2)

    Jinyoung¡¯s timing was perfect. The clawed hand sliced through the air, inches from his face. And when the creature¡¯s momentum carried it past, he gripped his sword with both hands and swung hard into the wraith¡¯s shoulder. He felt the blade sink in and cut into the bone.


    For most monsters, it would¡¯ve been a critical blow if not a fatal one. But the wraith was unfazed, it barely flinched. Before he could follow it up with another cut, the next wraith was on him.


    Ever since their first encounter with a sin wraith, Jinyoung had noticed the careful attention the creatures paid to their targets. These things watched for openings in your defenses, uncertainty in your movements.


    A cold blast of air hit Jinyoung in the chest and pushed him back. The next attack came from the side, another wraith moving in to take the kill.


    It was relentless, just like the others that Jinyoung had fought. These things didn¡¯t care about defending or supporting one another, all they knew was attack. Without a shield, Jinyoung was relegated to dodging or parrying each attack. Dodging was risky, but parrying was painful. A perfect parry worked out fine and saved his shoulders from the brunt of the impact, but misjudging the timing meant he took on the full force of the blow which shook him to his bones.


    Bones that had grown weary from the constant pace of battle.


    Jinyoung tried not to remember how tired he was or think of just how much his body ached. For the first few days, his feet had grown numb to the cold, but now they just hurt. From days of walking across uneven terrain, tens of battles and skirmishes, and likely from the thousands of tiny injuries he had accumulated over the weeks.


    Jinyoung winced at the pain when he shifted his weight to the ball of his foot and pushed off. The [dash] carried him about 4 meters away, well clear of the wraiths with enough distance to catch his breath.


    Hana, we need you.


    He looked at Willow and she shook her head. I d0n¡¯7 th1nk ¡­ can h3ar y0-


    She was right. There were too many sin wraiths too close to them. Even at a relatively short distance, he struggled to understand Willow¡¯s clan chat.


    Eventually, he realized that Willow wasn¡¯t looking at him but past him. Jinyoung turned around to see the armored figure tearing through two hapless sin wraiths.


    In a stunning display of strength and speed, it reached out an armored hand and simply grabbed one of the monsters by its throat. Another wraith rushed in, taking advantage of a perceived opening. Instead of turning to defend, it threw the wraith it was holding into the other. Together, the monsters went crashing into the wall. And while Willow and Jinyoung watched in amazement, it ran them both through with its spear.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Two more wraiths watched and, without hesitation, moved straight in to engage their chosen foe.


    ¡°Head¡¯s up, Jinyoung. Looks like you¡¯ve got an admirer.¡±


    Another wraith turned towards Jinyoung slowly closed the gap.


    Jinyoung sighed. ¡°Goddamn it.¡±


    He took one last look at Willow and Youngho. The old man was still motionless on the floor. He¡¯d passed out, presumably from the pain. It looked like the cold [frost] was enough to slow the spread of the infection, but not enough to stop it. The black had spread past his elbow and directly onto his biceps. Any further and it would start invading the organs in his chest which could only mean more trouble.


    Screeaaahhh!


    The wraith let out a cry and rushed him. It dragged a claw along the floor leaving notches in the tiling and kicking up small chunks of ceramic and cement. By the time it reached him, Jinyoung had already activated [scan] and could see the attack coming.


    The wraiths weren¡¯t easy, but they didn¡¯t feel nearly as deadly as they had been. Using [charge] imbued his muscles with more energy and, at least while the skill was active, the ache and pains faded from his body. He easily stepped sideways to avoid the initial attack and hopped back to move out of range of a wicked uppercut that followed.


    It was an awkward angle, but Jinyoung moved in and thrust at an opening, the monster¡¯s ribs under its overextended arm.


    The explosive force knocked the wraith back towards the gate.


    I wonder¡­


    Jinyoung didn¡¯t wait for his opponent to get back up. He [dashed] in and immediately [charged]. By the time the wraith had gotten back up, Jinyoung was already delivering a well-aimed blow to its midsection.


    His aim couldn¡¯t have been more perfect. The wraith rocketed backwards through the air and made direct contact with the gate. For a second, the monster hung in the hair before it simply blinked out of existence.


    A voice shouted out from across the room. ¡°Not one! Two! Erast!¡±


    Before he could respond, the gate sizzled and popped. Two arcs of energy shot out, hitting the ground and sending up a shower of debris.


    ¡°That was a bad idea,¡± Willow called out.


    No shit, Jinyoung thought.


    Jinyoung lifted his sword and [charged]. And a heartbeat later, the two wraiths charged.


    ***


    A bead of sweat gathered on her brow and then trickled down past her eye.


    Casting [frost] at just the right amount while also keeping an eye on the chaotic battle in front of her was taking its toll. The strain of it would¡¯ve been impossible just a month ago, but even now it was just bearable.


    She wanted nothing more than to reach up and wipe the sweat from her face, but she couldn¡¯t move. With one hand, she was cooling Youngho¡¯s forehead and attempting to keep his fever at bay. With her others, she was using [frost] to slow the spread of the sin infection. And while he hated to admit it, she was losing both battles.


    At first, Youngho had been blessedly quiet. But now, his breathing was getting heavier and she could see small shocks run through his body. Twice now, she had increased the intensity of the spell. Any more and she risked doing more damage than the infection. Even now, the skin around his arm was starting to blister from the intense cold.


    ¡°Mr. Ko, you need to stay still,¡± she whispered.


    A sudden jerk ran through his arm and Youngho¡¯s eyes flickered. A low grown made it out of his mouth.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working,¡± Willow whispered to himself.


    She started to whisper a prayer and then thought better of it.


    Sunbae? We need you.

 Sin in the Family (3)

    The scouts had detailed hundreds of underground facilities like this scattered along the border. It made sense. Instead of building structures above ground that would be at the mercy of harsh winters and monster attacks, underground structures would be naturally warmer and potentially safer.


    The remains of the town smoldered above her as she entered the underground facility. It looked like survivors, if there were any, had long since left. Bodies littered the area, but their skin had long since gone blue. Too far gone to have been killed here. Almost as if they¡¯d been killed elsewhere and then moved here.


    The thought made Eunice shiver.


    Run environmental analysis, she commanded.


    Environmental analysis running¡­


    Temperature: -35oC


    Atmospheric pressure: 1.047 bar


    Area of Effect detected.


    Area of effect.


    It was a common term for a spell or skill that affected a large space. Not to mention, the temperature was too cold. The area was rated for -25oC, but it was a full 10 degrees colder. It had to be the aftereffect of a spell, but what sort of spell could affect an entire region like this?


    Eunice blew into her cupped hands. [Warmth] should have been enough to keep the chill out, but she shivered nonetheless.


    ***


    Will-w¡­ >h@t¡¯s happ3ning?


    The message was garbled and barely understandable. Which mean that Willow¡¯s own responses would be just as difficult to understand.


    Sunbae! You need to get here now!


    Over the span of ten minutes, things had gone from bad to worse. Jinyoung was fighting off two sin wraiths on his own. As far as she could tell, he was able to hold his own ground, but he was fighting them to a stalemate. And given how exhausted Willow felt, she had to imagine that Jinyoung wouldn¡¯t last long against two tireless monsters.


    Worse still, Youngho¡¯s infection had worsened significantly. The skin up to his shoulder had grown discolored. More than that, the skin on his hands and forearms was growing hard. At first, Willow thought it was blistering caused by her [frost] spell, but it was too uniform to be anything resulting from her spell.


    Again and again she had increased the intensity of her spell until she was pouring everying she had into it.


    ¡°Willow, move!¡±


    Willow¡¯s head snapped up to see a wraith charging at her. Jinyoung had barely shouted in time to give her fair warning. Unable to do anything else, she raised both her hands and put any mana reserves she had left into the spell.


    The spell hit the wraith in a steady stream. It kept charging, but its movements slowed and became stiff. Willow could see the moisture in the air freezing when it touched her spell, leaving small icicles on the wraith¡¯s arms until its entire arm was covered in a chunk of ice so heavy it weighed it down and kept it from moving forward.


    She breathed out a heavy sigh and tried to catch her breath. The spell had taken whatever reserves she had left. But even now, she could see that the wraith was tearing away at the ice with its free arm. It was only a matter of time before I ripped through and completed it¡¯s charge.


    Willow took a deep breath and tried to speak, but it came out as a whisper. ¡°[Ember].¡±


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    The spark of a spell appeared in her hands before immediately flickering and disappearing.


    ¡°[Ember],.¡± she repeated.


    This time, she was able to conjure a flame, but it lasted only a second before fading away.


    I have to do this, Willow thought. But each time Willow tried to reach for the mana pool deep inside herself, she came up with a few drops. More than that, she could feel her body weakening with every attempt.


    Mana sickness, she realized.


    Every Academy student learned the basics of mana sickness in their first year classes. Afterall, just about every cadet learns the basics of spellcasting (even if they never use it). Mana sickness wasn¡¯t just the effect of depleting your mana pool, it was a barrier to prevent players from drawing on their lifeforce. It was actually possible to cast a spell without mana, but the required energy cost was paid with your health rather than your magical essence. Which meant a spell, even a simple one, could result in the caster¡¯s death.


    Crack!


    The wraith drew it¡¯s free hand back and swung it straight at the block of ice encasing it¡¯s arm. A huge chunk of ice at least a foot across broke off leaving a web of quickly spreading cracks behind. She didn¡¯t have much time.


    Willow raised her hands and closed her eyes. She went deep within herself to draw the energy to power the spell that was coming. It felt like diving into a pool, but instead of reaching the bottom, Willow kept going. She pushed herself further than she¡¯d ever gone before and found another vast pool of power, pulsing with a regular beat. Her own heartbeat.


    Before she could regret her decision, she drew as much as she could out of that deep reservoir and felt the fire magic course through her veins.


    But when she opened her eyes, the wraith was nearly on her. She could feel the seconds tick like minutes as her heart pounded in her ears. And, without a shred of doubt, she knew it wasn¡¯t enough.


    The cold wind on her face felt like a million tiny blades. The creature¡¯s claws swung forward, almost blindingly fast.


    It would have cut her to pieces if not the sudden presence of a shadow that stopped the attack in its place. No, not a shadow. A hand. Or, more accurately, a fist.


    ***


    Youngho forgot where he was for a moment. All he felt was a burning¡­ warmth. Almost as if his body had been set ablaze, but the fires didn¡¯t burn. If anything, they felt warm.


    He saw the wraith and the girl¡­ Willow. The monster moved quickly, but his thoughts were slow. The thing rushed in prepared to kill her, but Youngho¡¯s own thoughts were like quicksilver sliding from his grasp.


    Move.


    His fist caught the blow before he knew it. His body just reacted. Almost like it had when he was a younger man in his prime, but so much faster. The wraith moved and Youngho¡¯s other fist instinctively shot out. Unlike its twin, this one was pink and fleshy.


    Weak, he thought. But it did its job. The punch landed squarely on the monster¡¯s face and stunned it. His right hand swung around and launched a blow that decimated the monster. The impact rippled out across the monster¡¯s very being until it exploded into a mess of blood and viscera.


    From the corner of his eye, he could see the girl¡­ Willow. Yes, Willow.


    She was speaking, but he didn¡¯t care to listen. Or maybe he couldn¡¯t hear her.


    No, he saw the others.


    Jinyoung. His son.


    More of the monsters flocked about him, pecking at him like birds. He needed to stop the birds.


    ***


    The attack came from nowhere and missed Jinyoung by inches. It took a moment for him to register what he was seeing. It was the old man¡¯s fist, but it had buried itself so deeply in the wraith¡¯s chest that he could see it coming through the other side. The monster¡¯s body reacted immediately, popping like a balloon and deflating while the fluids of its life spilled out of it.


    Jinyoung finally found his voice and shouted, ¡°Watch it!¡±


    But Youngho was already on the next monster, dealing devastating blow after blow on them. Any attacks by the wraiths were literally waved off, almost like they were children.


    Between the armored stranger and Youngho, the wraiths were dispatched alarmingly quickly. Jinyoung helped Willow up and looked at her questioningly.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± she stammered. ¡°One minute he was on the ground unconscious and the next¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she watched Youngho literally tear the last monster apart with his bare hands.


    Even Jinyoung was at a loss for words. Whatever was going on, it had definitely empowered Youngho beyond anything he had seen until now. Even Cyrus, for all his armor and weapons, wasn¡¯t capable of this level of power. Especially not with his bare hands.


    ¡°We need to shut down the gate,¡± he said finally. ¡°You gonna help us or-¡±


    Without hesitation, the armored figure cut a wide swath at Youngho with its spear. Without missing a beat, Youngho dodged the blow and immediately launched a counterattack of his own.


    The impact of the spear against the old man¡¯s fists shook the walls and sent echoes bounding down the hall leading from the control room.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Jinyoung shouted. ¡°Stop this! We need to shut down the gate!¡±


    If either combatant heard him, they didn¡¯t show it. They continued trading blows with the armored warrior clearly fighting in earnest now. More than once, it had to give up ground to avoid some of the monk¡¯s terrifyingly powerful blows.


    Willow put a hand on Jinyoung¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

 Sin in the Family (4)

    Hana tried to keep her breath steady, but Seunghyo could hear the panic setting into her voice.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. Likewise, he was doing his best to keep his breath steady. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s starting to fade.¡±


    He took Hana¡¯s hands in his and squeezed reassuringly. Seunghyo took some solace from the fact that he wasn¡¯t lying. In fact, the pain had only gotten worse. But he was slowing her down and, from the sounds of it, the others needed her help more than he did.


    ¡°I¡¯ll catch up, but you need to help them,¡± he continued. ¡°Now.¡±


    Gently, but firmly, he removed his arm from Hana¡¯s shoulders. And as if to reiterate his point, he continued walking quickly without her support.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    Hana hated the idea of leaving him behind more than anything. She¡¯d spent years hating him, and then years longer dismissing him. And now, more than anything, she wanted to make up for lost time.


    But his shoulder injury had stopped bleeding and he was able to walk on his own, unassisted. Whatever poison Henry had used, its effects must have been limited.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she shot back. ¡°But don¡¯t rush yourself. I¡¯ll be back for you, okay?¡±


    Seunghyo watched her run until she turned a bend and disappeared from view. Most of what he said was true and the bleeding had stopped. Initially, the pain of the wound was unbearable but it had long since faded and been replaced with a burning sensation.


    He took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs. It was nice respite from the fever that had come on in the last five minutes. Whatever effect of Henry¡¯s attack, it didn¡¯t feel like it was abating. If anything, the burning sensation spread from his shoulder and engulfed his entire body until it felt like his skin was on fire.


    His feet felt heavy, but he tried to focus simply on putting one in front of the other and moving forward. But the fever was getting worse. His jacket felt like an oven and sweat was pouring from his face. He undid the zipper and slid the jacket from his shoulders, letting the cold air seep in past his thin layer of clothes. But even that respite was short-lived.


    The pain had returned, but now it felt like thousands of needles piercing his skin. With his free hand, he reached up to his shoulder and dug past the layers of cloth and bandage at an attempt to alieve the pain. Under the bandages, he felt a hard almost leathery.


    ¡°What the hell? When did I¡­?¡±


    Seunghyo never finished the thought. It was stiff, almost like armor but that made no sense. He followed it along his arm, looking for the seam but he couldn¡¯t find it. With his fingers, he traced along the hard material again, looking for an edge, but each time he followed along until he found the skin of his arm.


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    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    He could hear the concern in his own voice. Finally, he settled for removing the rest of his shirt and the bandages. Seunghyo didn¡¯t notice how little he felt the cold. Or how easily his injured arm moved without pain.


    His only focus was his shoulder which had turned black, and his skin which had become hard with grooves and cracks that allowed him to move and flex. If he didn¡¯t know any better, he would¡¯ve said it looked like armor.


    ***


    Jinyoung had only seen his adoptive father in combat twice: once during a raid when he and Hana were children and most recently against the wraiths in the silo.


    The biggest difference between those two instances wasn¡¯t Youngho¡¯s own skills or power, but rather his ability to recognize what the old man was capable of. The fact that Youngho was able to deal with two wraiths relatively easily on his own was more than impressive. It was breathtaking.


    However, that was not true in this battle. The difference was immediately evident to Jinyoung, even without the help of his [scan] ability. Whereas earlier, Youngho movements flowed seamlessly in a natural and controlled manner, now his fighting style was rough. He¡¯d even go so far as to call it savage.


    Gone were the controlled punches and parries, replaced with wide sweeping strikes meant to hamstring and maim his opponent. Jinyoung watched as Youngho launched a savage combination of high kicks and palm strikes. On the surface, each strike targeted the armored stranger¡¯s vital points. Deeper still, his [scan] revealed each punch to be exploding with a black mana force. Enough that the power from his infected arm was bleeding into the visible spectrum and obvious to anyone who was watching.


    As he watched, Youngho swung a wild kick that was easily dodged and countered with the butt of the spear. The bladed end came around, but Youngho caught the spear haft easily and launched a devastating punch at his opponent¡¯s midsection. It was barely a glancing blow, but the thud of his fist bouncing past the armor was deafening.


    For all his power, Youngho was on the losing end of the battle. The stranger used its spear¡¯s superior range to keep Youngho at a distance and deal small glancing blows far out of arm¡¯s reach. It wasn¡¯t able to counter or easily parry Youngho¡¯s attacks like it had earlier, but it was only a matter of time before the monk was cornered or the many glancing blows took their toll.


    ¡°What do we do, Jinyoung?¡± Willow asked. ¡°We should help your father, right?¡±


    Under normal circumstances, he¡¯d be inclined to agree. And, for all their conflicts, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to jump into battle. But whoever this alien armored stranger was, it wasn¡¯t a monster. And as far as the most pressing concern, the system reminded him of one important fact.


    [SIN detected.]


    Before he could respond, the spear came around and struck Youngho directly in the face. Stunned, he stumbled back in an effort to create distance and left himself open for the follow up. The armored figure cradled its spear in two arms before spinning and diving forward.


    Instinctively, Jinyoung [dashed] in and [charged]. He felt the power course through his body and settle in his sword arm. Neither the armored stranger nor Youngho paid him any attention, but when the spear was thrust forward, Jinyoung was already there.


    He had to be perfect. A split second early and Jinyoung would be run through, a split second late and it¡¯d be Youngho.


    But Jinyoung¡¯s timing was correct. He chopped with his sword, a wild downward arc and caught the spear just behind its point as it passed underneath him.


    Immediately, the spear exploded with power like it had before stunning the stranger and knocking Jinyoung over with its force.


    He¡¯d only have one chance to stop this before it got any worse. ¡°Stop! We need to-¡±


    Jinyoung didn¡¯t finish his sentence. The fight had been so ferocious that he wasn¡¯t able to get a good look at Youngho from across the room, but up close he could see it. The black had spread to his shoulder and it fairly glowed with power.


    But worse were his eyes.


    They were completely black.

 Sin in the Family (5)

    Without its spear, the stranger shifted back and held a hand out to summon the weapon back into its grasp.


    But Youngho¡¯s reaction was immediate and brutal. In a flash, he had closed the distance and landed a devastating strike on his armored opponent. It sounded like a thunderclap as his fist made solid and direct contact on armor.


    For a second, Jinyoung could see the armor plating shake and wobble from the blow. The next several blows came in quickly, first striking at the body and then moving on to the head. The armored figure staggered under the force of the blows and could only feebly put its hands up in defense to protect itself. But Youngho easily swept those defenses aside and landed a flurry of savage punches.


    The stranger tried to dodge sideways, but the damage had taken its toll. Their legs shook and movement was slow. Youngho easily caught his opponent and pressed them against the wall with one hand while pummeling away with the other. Even from a distance, Jinyoung could see the armor had been battered to breaking. Chunks of the helm had broken off, and it was only a matter of time before Youngho broke through the defenses completely.


    Jinyoung shook himself out of shock. If they didn¡¯t act now, the stranger was as good as dead.


    ¡°Willow! I need you to get his attention!¡±


    Willow shot back a look of surprise and fear. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t. Everything that had happened in the past hour was wrong. There was no question about Youngho¡¯s infection. It was definitely sin and the longer he had it, the worse off they would be.


    But, Jinyoung was more concerned about the gate. Even if this was man-made, it was still a tear in time and space. Only monsters came through the gates, but the armored intruder was clearly something else.


    For all of humanity¡¯s advancement in the understanding of the System, their understanding of the gates was unchanged.


    Long story short, they needed the stranger alive.


    ¡°Willow, do it!¡±


    Her hands shook from the strain. Jinyoung could see clearly that she had pressed past her limits, but with [scan] he saw that her mana levels were almost nonexistent. The last of her reserve flowed into her hands and manifested as pure force.


    ¡°[Arcane shot]!!¡±


    The spell flew out in a direct path with enough force that there wasn¡¯t even an arc. It hit Youngho squarely in the back with just enough force to loosen his grip. The stranger slid against the wall and fell in a heap on the ground.


    Jinyoung didn¡¯t wait. He [charged] and [dashed], letting his skill carry him across the large room and swung an upward cut. It was an attack designed to not kill, but to maim.


    It¡¯s the arm, he thought. That has to be it.


    His arm traced a wide cut. He could nearly hear the sword sing as it cut through the air. But instead of carving clean through flesh and bone, the blade lodged itself an inch into Youngho¡¯s blackened arm. And try as he might, Jinyoung could not dislodge it.


    He was so focused on what was right in front of him that he barely heard Willow call out a warning behind him.


    ¡°Jinyoung!¡±


    He didn¡¯t see the blow coming. The fist him squarely in the chest and in the blink of an eye he knew that at least two of his ribs were broken. The hit was strong enough that he was momentarily lifted off the ground before he crumpled to a heap.


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    At first, all Jinyoung could do was focus on catching his breath. He coughed and wheezed while trying to straighten his blurred vision. He was only vaguely aware of Youngho standing over him, but his eyes drifted down and focused on the stranger.


    Their armor was dented, broken in some places. Especially the helm which had cracked open completely exposing a face underneath. A human face with scars and bruises covering delicate features. But Jinyoung¡¯s eyes were on her mouth. She was speaking but he couldn¡¯t hear anything through the ringing in his ears.


    ¡°Kaht hit hoff¡­¡±


    What?


    Jinyoung put his palms against the floor and pressed himself up to a kneeling position. His body screamed in pain with each movement, but he still had breath. And if he still had breath in him, then he still had a fight in him.


    ¡°Kaht hit hoff¡­¡±


    Jinyoung shook his head. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying.


    Out of Youngho¡¯s view, the stranger lifted a gloved arm and slowly materialized the spear. Meanwhile Youngho stood over him, staring. He didn¡¯t move, but his fists were balled up tight.


    I can¡¯t beat him, he thought.


    He struggled to speak, but it was hard enough to breathe.


    Almost as if to respond, the stranger shook her head. She gripped the spear tight and then, with a flick of her hand, tossed it to Jinyoung.


    It took everything he had left to reach out with his hand and catch the spear haft squarely in his palm. The way the spear looked and the way it felt defied all logic. The spear itself seemed to be made of light, but it was solid. Heavy, even. But more than anything else, it was shockingly cold. The kind of glacial iciness that climbs through your limbs and chills you to your core.


    Youngho¡¯s black eyes opened wide and he reacted by bringing his fists down. Jinyoung kicked out his legs against Youngho¡¯s torso and pushed, sliding across the floor just before two fists smashed the spot the spot he would¡¯ve been.


    ¡°Kaht it hoff¡­!¡± the stranger repeated, but with more urgency this time.


    Between the broken ribs and the spear that threatened to suck the heat out of his body, it took Jinyoung a moment before he understood what she was saying


    Cut it off.


    He¡¯d tried already and failed with his own sword. He could see the shattered remnants of the blade by Youngho¡¯s feet. In fact, Jinyoung hadn¡¯t even seen Youngho break his weapon. But judging by the black spreading over his shoulder, he likely broke it with his bare hands.


    Instinctively, he gripped the spear tighter but that only sent a blast of cold through his arm and into his body. Whatever this weapon was, it was as much a danger to the wielder as it was to their enemies.


    But Jinyoung didn¡¯t have time to think before he saw Youngho step forward and ready himself to attack.


    Shit. How do I use this thing? he thought.


    Until now, the stranger had used the spear sparingly. Only using it for attack or parries. The few times Jinyoung or Youngho had landed direct blows on the spear itself, it had exploded with a knockback force that hit everyone nearby including the stranger who was wielding it.


    It can¡¯t block.


    Youngho sprinted in and threw a savage punch. Unlike with monsters, the [scan] skill was slow to react. Almost as if the system were having trouble detecting the old man¡¯s movements but the punch was telegraphed from a mile away. He drew his fist back and when he threw the punch, he put his entire body and full weight behind it causing him to skid past Jinyoung when he dodged out of the blow¡¯s path.


    To avoid mishandling the spear, Jinyoung held it behind him. The monk¡¯s movements were still jagged, lacking any depth or strategy. Each punch was designed to cause injury and damage all on its own, regardless of the follow up. That made each attack easier to dodge, but just barely.


    I can¡¯t keep this up forever!


    He¡¯d only have one chance, and if he messed this up, he was likely dead.


    Jinyoung [dashed] back, creating more distance between the two. He¡¯d also need [charge] if this was going to work.


    Youngho stopped, surprised by the sudden retreat before stepping forward again. And just like before, he ran, pulling his fist back and launching the same punch with his entire weight behind it.


    This time, Jinyoung used the butt of the spear to catch Youngho¡¯s arm and with a flick of the wrist, he turned him away. This simple parry pulled Youngho off-balance and he stumbled past Jinyoung, unable to stop in time.


    I hope I¡¯m doing the right thing.


    He only had a split second, but it was enough. Jinyoung brought the spear point around and cut a wide swath up, just below where Youngho¡¯s arm met his torso.This time the spear cut straight through offering almost no resistance.


    The old monk¡¯s mouth opened wide and he let out a screeching wail, similar to what the wraiths sounded like. It was long and piercing. And at the end, the high-pitch faded until it was just a human scream before it cut off and Youngho tumbled to the ground.

 Sin in the Family (6)

    Muyeon blinked. A gaping hole had ripped out most of the interior display of her helmet. The protective outer layer was bent and twisted beyond repair. An errant spark flashed by her face as the connections inside the helmet overloaded.


    The armor which had stood up to countless monsters, demons, and horrors from beyond the worlds had held up valiantly, but the inhabitants of this world were something to behold. Especially under the influence of Volux.


    Carefully, Muyeon used her armored hands to remove the remains of her helmet. Shattered and bent beyond recognition, it was luck that she hadn¡¯t sustained any major injuries.


    The scene was a bloody mess.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± she whispered to herself.


    The room was empty with the exception of the gate and whatever passed for technology here that was powering it. She surmised it was a laboratory and the gate had gotten out of control. That could be the only reason she was able to pass through it.


    Two people stood over a third, the infected, and were applying medical attention. She longed to use [libra] and learn more about the locals or her surroundings, but the sparking mess of the helmet in her hands assured her that wasn¡¯t a possibility.


    Astrid, can you hear me?


    There was no response, but Muyeon had expected that. Everything from the foreign language the locals spoke to the strange architecture of her current standings confirmed to her what she had suspected when she first stepped through the gate.


    She was off-world.


    ***


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Hana¡¯s shriek echoed off the walls.


    Jinyoung wanted to look up, but he was too busy trying to stop the bleeding. He had attempted to wrap the wound, but there was just too much blood.


    ¡°Willow, can you cauterize the wound?¡±


    When no answer came, he looked up and saw just how pale Willow was. She had fought past her limits and any additional spells would likely put her life in as much danger as the one they were trying to save.


    A voice murmured behind him. ¡°Jinyoung, what happened?¡±


    Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed Hana¡¯s hands before placing them against Youngho¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Hana, I need to hold pressure.¡± He tried to sound reassuring, but even he could hear the tremble in his voice.


    Hana¡¯s eyes were wide and full of tears, but she forced herself to nod and pressed her hands into the wet jacket. Under her fingertips, she could feel the blood pooling up and bleeding through. But all she could do was hold her father¡¯s wound tight and make sure to buy Jinyoung as much time as possible.


    The room was a bloody mess.


    It was large, but the rubble and shattered concrete made it feel smaller. Jinyoung [scanned] the room, hoping to find something to reduce the bleeding. But the system returned nothing.


    The laboratory had been emptied long before they arrived, likely to keep anything from damaging the equipment used to keep the gate open. Jinyoung thought back to the control room and remembered seeing nothing that would help their current circumstances. Further back still, the corridor that led them here had been nearly empty.


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    The slow chill of defeat threatened to wash over him. He shivered.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    The voice broke through his inner thoughts and doubts. The stranger held the spear out to him.


    Jinyoung¡¯s first reaction was to recoil away from the weapon. It wasn¡¯t just the fact he had attacked the old man with it, but the memory of wielding the weapon was like. It was dangerous. Just using it could have killed him.


    The spear wasn¡¯t made of light, he had realized. His hands had burned with a biting chill when he held it. Almost as if it were made out of a frozen coldfire.


    His eyes followed the shaft up the spear to the armored figure who held it out to him. How he didn¡¯t realize the stranger was a woman was beyond him. The armor was slim and gave the unmistakable impression of a female figure.


    ¡°Your confederate¡¯s wound,¡± she reiterated. ¡°Press it.¡±


    The spear tip blazed in Jinyoung¡¯s eye.


    Unyielding Lance of []


    [Details unknown]


    User does not meet the requirements to wield this weapon.


    Restrictions will be applied.


    Details unknown.


    Until now, his [scan] skill had given him information on every item, monster, and player he had come across. But the fact that this item was outside the bounds of his abilities reinforced the danger he suspected he was in by taking hold of the weapon.


    ¡°Jinyoung! We need to do something!¡± Hana shouted.


    Without any more hesitation, he took a hold of the spear and immediately felt the cold travel up his arm and slam into his heart. It was as if an icy hand was making a fist inside his chest.


    ¡°Move¡­¡± he sputtered out.


    Hana shifted out of the way and removed the jacket from her father¡¯s shoulder. It was a clean but, without a bandage, the blood vessels bled out freely.


    ¡°Hold him down,¡± Jinyoung croaked.


    Willow moved to the ankles while Hana placed her hands on Youngho¡¯s chest and braced herself.


    ¡°Please hold still, dad.¡±


    Jinyoung put his free hand on Youngho¡¯s chest and brought the flat of the spear up against the open wound. The flesh made a sickening sizzling sound as it was cauterized by the un-fire. Youngho¡¯s body grew cold under their hands, but he twitched and jerked with pain.


    After a few seconds Jinyoung pulled the blade away. The wound was completely cauterized, but the skin around had turned blue.


    Willow spoke as if she could read his mind. ¡°It¡¯s not black though, so there¡¯s no lingering infection.¡±


    Before Jinyoung respond, a hand pulled to his feet and slammed him against a wall. Hana¡¯s face was full of rage.


    ¡°What the hell happened!?¡±


    Jinyoung tried to respond, but his sister¡¯s grip was tight and she was pressing him hard into the wall. Even if he wanted to fight back, he doubted he could. Just holding the spear for a few seconds had drained him of energy and life.


    ¡°H-he was¡­ infected with sin,¡± he gasped. ¡°He attacked the stranger and he attacked me.¡±


    ¡°Sin?¡± Hana repeated. ¡°How?¡±


    Jinyoung tried to speak, but the little breath he had was spent. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­. breathe.¡±


    After a moment that stretched on just a little too long, Hana released her grip and let Jinyoung drop to the ground. It was the second time he¡¯d been pinned by a family member that day.


    Finally, when he had caught his breath, he attempted to explain what had happened.


    ¡°The cut on his hand,¡± he stammered. ¡°It infected him somehow.¡±


    Hana shook her head. It didn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°No, that¡­¡±


    She retrieved the vial and the research drive. Jinyoung took hold of the research drive and summarily stomped it out of existence.


    ¡°That¡¯s one down,¡± he said. ¡°Now just-¡±


    Jinyoung froze. He checked the quest menu to confirm that the research drive was destroyed, but saw that the quest had changed.


    QUEST: CRADLE of Ice (UNIQUE)


    Destroy the research drive (Complete)


    Destroy SIN (1/2)


    Destroy the CRADLE and close the GATE


    Reward: None.


    ¡°Destroy sin?¡± He read aloud. ¡°One of two? Willow are you seeing this?¡±


    It didn¡¯t make any sense. He tried to find the reasoning, but there was no explanation. The quest had simply changed since he looked at it early, without any rhyme or reason.


    Meanwhile, Hana opened the vial and peered inside and saw¡­ nothing. The vial was completely empty.


    Willow¡¯s own eyes went wide when she saw the quest menu. To her mind, it could only mean one thing.


    ¡°Sunbae?¡± she asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Seunghyo?¡±

 Sin in the Family (7)

    Willow¡¯s own eyes went wide when she saw the quest menu. To her mind, it could only mean one thing.


    ¡°Sunbae?¡± she asked. ¡°Where¡¯s Seunghyo?¡±


    Jinyoung barely heard it. A low rumble.


    No, a growl.


    Is that a wolf? He thought.


    A shape bounded out of the control room and slammed its full weight into him. Jinyoung didn¡¯t even have enough time to get his hands up to defend himself before they slammed into the ground, tumbling.


    Whatever it was, it was strong and fast. Hands grabbed at his face as they rolled, but Jinyoung did his best to defend himself. Whatever it was, it was wild and moved like an animal.


    They slid to a stop and Jinyoung had the vaguest sense of the attacker, but it rolled on top of him. Then he had no time for anything but preventing hands from finding their way around his throat.


    ¡°Seunghyo!¡± Hana screamed.


    Yeah, where the hell has he been? Jinyoung wondered. I could use his help right away now.


    Instinctively, Jinyoung went for his sword and found thin air. Right, he thought. His sword, or the shattered remains of it, were on the ground somewhere. The spear was long since gone leaving him completely unarmed.


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    Then again, maybe not completely unarmed.


    He kicked repeatedly until one of his strikes found home, probably its stomach. For a split second, Jinyoung found an opening and used it to slam a fist into his attacker¡¯s face. Then, another.


    He might not have been a monk or a hand-to-hand class, but Youngho made sure the children under his care knew how to throw a punch. Jinyoung tightened his fist just like he had been taught as a child and straightened out his wrist.


    Tight fist and follow through, he told himself.


    He drew his fist back and hit his attacker over and over again, but whatever it was, it held on for dear life. Hands reached and grabbed at his face, but Jinyoung pushed them away and dealt blow after blow.


    Finally, when his shoulder was sore and he didn¡¯t think he had any more left in him, he felt the weight of his assailant shift off him. Hands reached out at him, but his rescuer pulled them away before summarily throwing them across the room.


    Jinyoung reached out a hand for help. ¡°You took your damned time Seunghyo.¡±


    Two hands took hold of his and pulled him to his feet, but it wasn¡¯t Seunghyo. It was Willow.


    ¡°I thought Hana said Seunghyo-¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish.


    At first, he thought that Youngho had regained consciousness. But he saw the old man lying still on the ground, breathing slowly with Hana by his side. The armored stranger was standing at the ready, spear in hand. Even from a distance, he could see her expression was hard set. He¡¯d seen that same look on Hana and Willow¡¯s faces when they fought in battle. And he was sure they¡¯d seen it on his as well.


    She lifted her spear and pointed it directly at her opponent.


    Seunghyo¡¯s mouth barely mouthed, but the low growl that escaped his lips was easy to recognize. And the aggression behind it.

 Sin in the Family (8)

    For a second, Jinyoung held his breath. Seunghyo, or the dark figure that vaguely resembled him, just stood there. Whatever infection had taken hold of Youngho¡¯s arm had taken over the full scope of Seunghyo¡¯s skin.


    The clothes around one shoulder were shredded, almost burnt in fact. The skin underneath was completely black and cracked, almost if he were carved out of granite. Any exposed skin on his arms were likewise covered in black. Enough so that it looked less like skin and almost like they were covered in a fluid.


    His face was similarly covered in black, with some small spots of pink flesh showing through. But his eyes were the worst of it. In the shadow, Jinyoung couldn¡¯t see them properly, but they shone with an unnatural light.


    [Details]


    Name: Seunghyo


    Class: Pathfinder


    Level: ¨C


    It was second nature for Jinyoung to use his [scan] skill. He had gotten accustomed to using the skill to learn more about the people and objects around him, but this was wrong.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    The details were all wrong. While the lack of a level was concerning, there were other details whose absence hinted at something worse. There were no affiliations whether it be clan or otherwise. Seunghyo had admitted to working for the Cha Bell Corporation which meant it should¡¯ve appeared in his details just as it had for Henry. Not to mention any titles or accolades that a seasoned player like Seunghyo would have collected during his time in the field.


    But worse still, the word ¡°player¡± wasn¡¯t visible anywhere in his description.


    Jinyoung motioned at the young magic user, ¡°Willow, get back.¡±


    His pulse quickened as he took stock of the room. The armored stranger stood tall, but her armor was badly dented. Willow on the other hand was barely standing and [scan] told him that she was dangerously low on mana. Too many more spells and they¡¯d be carrying her out of here. Finally, a cursory glance told him that Hana was still kneeling next to Youngho who was still unconscious on the floor.


    That left Jinyoung and the stranger. And Jinyoung was still unarmed.


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    He looked around the room, hoping to find something to fight with. But there wasn¡¯t anything and judging by the growing amount of mana surging in Seunghyo, he suspected didn¡¯t have time to find something.


    And he was right.


    Seunghyo moved with frightening speed. One second he was just standing there and the next he had the armored stranger by the neck and was driving her into the wall.


    An armored fist caught him square in the jaw and he barely flinched. But his grip loosened enough that the second punch put some distance between them.


    An [arcane shot] buzzed in and knocked him further off balance. Whatever reserves Willow had were running low though and they wouldn¡¯t be able to rely on her for more attacks.


    ¡°I hope this works.¡±


    Jinyoung [dashed] in and [charged]. Once was close enough, he drew his fish back and punched as hard as he could. He connected with Seunghyo¡¯s chest and rocketed him back against the wall behind him.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    He turned to see Hana, shield up and sword drawn. He nodded at her before turning back to Seunghyo. ¡°Hana, you need to slow him down. The spear¡¯s the only thing that¡¯ll stop him long enough for-¡±


    He felt it before he saw it. The light touch of steel against his neck.


    Slowly, he turned to face Hana. ¡°Hana, put the sword down.¡±


    Her face was grim and set. If there was any hesitation in her now, Jinyoung didn¡¯t see it. Her shield was raised up and her sword arm was fully extended. He¡¯d seen her take on this stance dozens of times over the past few weeks. Of course, this was the first time he¡¯d ever been on the receiving end.


    ¡°Hana, you don¡¯t understand. He¡¯s been infected, just like Youngho.¡±


    Jinyoung pleaded with his sister, but his words fell on deaf ears. Hana¡¯s stare didn¡¯t waver and her voice didn¡¯t shake.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known you were selfish, oppa. But I never thought you¡¯d let that get the best of you.¡±


    Her voice was monotone, almost as if all emotion had left her body and instinct had taken over. And, by the steadiness of her sword, it was a warrior¡¯s instinct.


    ¡°It¡¯s the purified sin, Hana. It must¡¯ve been on the bastard¡¯s blade! That¡¯s how Youngho was infected and Seunghyo¡­¡±


    On the other side of the laboratory, Seunghyo and the stranger fought an uneven battle. Whether it was the damage wrought to her armor or maybe just the raw difference in power, Seunghyo was proving himself to be his opponent¡¯s better.


    Jinyoung tried again to lower his sister¡¯s blade. ¡°Hana, you have to listen to me. He¡¯s been infected and-¡±


    ¡°Shutup!¡± her voice lashed out like the crack of a whip. ¡°I don¡¯t have to listen to you!¡±


    He raised his hands and tried to convey as little threat as possible.


    ¡°Jinyoung, you wouldn¡¯t understand. He is my husband. And you¡¯ve never cared about any of us enough to come close to knowing how I feel.¡±


    The words struck home and stung. But more than anything, Jinyoung realized that there was nothing he could say to convince his sister.


    ***


    Hana watched her brother carefully while listening carefully to the battle occurring next to her. She could hear the spear sing as it cut through the air, but had yet to hear it pierce flesh. On the other hand, she could hear the dull thud of blows landing on armor.


    So focused was Hana on the battle and her brother that she failed to notice another presence slowly making its way to her. It wasn¡¯t until Youngho placed his hand on her sword arm that she noticed his presence.


    ¡°Oh, darling,¡± he whispered. ¡°This isn¡¯t what you want to do.¡±

 Sin in the Family (9)

    The mission parameters were simple: investigate the source of the intrusion.


    A report from the outer reach included system anomalies that hadn¡¯t been seen before. It wasn''t out of the ordinary for new gates to cause a spike in the radar readings, but the dregs had found a gate that didn¡¯t read as a gate.


    After over 100 years, the report was an outlier. A surprise that called for closer inspection.


    The outer reaches had long since-been abandoned by civilization. The ruins of a century past were hollow and empty. It was like walking into a coffin. The coordinates for the anomaly were further in than she would have preferred, but even monsters avoided the area.


    "Mother One, I''m here at the edge."


    A brief burst of static cut through the radio. "Copy, Outrider. Keep comms clear and check in if you find something."


    Temperature warning. Armor cooling active.


    Even through layers of protective metal, Muyeon could feel the heat outside. The suit would do its best to protect her, but she needed to get underground quickly.


    Just ahead in the wreckage of a downed skyscraper, she saw the entrance. Jagged steel beams protruded from the ground like bones. Just beyond them, the wide opening for a parking garage stretched open like a yawn.


    "I''m here. I''ll keep comms open just in case."


    She didn''t bother waiting for confirmation. The heat was blistering outside and while there weren''t any signs of life, an attack would put her at an immediate disadvantage. Any energy required to cool the suit was energy that wasn''t going to power the suit.


    The underground structure provided enough shade that the suit''s warnings slowly shut off one by one. The degradation of atmospheric ozone meant that UV rays baked the planet''s surface in dangerous zones. Luckily, the rubble and ruins above ground did a good job of absorbing the heat before it ever got to the underground. The structure was well preserved with vehicles for a bygone-era carefully placed throughout in neat patterns.


    Target location... 452 meters ahead.


    "Outrider on the move," she reported, her voice tinged with annoyance.


    In her opinion, the mission was a waste of resources. None more than Muyeon herself. She was better suited to fighting off the hordes or defending her home, Ark One-Four. But the Council had been adamant that the intrusion be investigated.


    And the Federated Council''s word was law.


    Navigating the structure wasn''t difficult. It was at least a century old and architecture from that period was designed to be straightforward. It was easy to find the ramp leading down to the next level, then the next and so on until the scorching heat of the planet''s surface was a distant memory.


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    When she finally arrived at the investigation location, she could tell immediately that the gate was wrong.


    When a gate opens, it causes incursions over time in a uniform pattern stemming from the gate itself. Pieces of alien architecture protruded from the walls and ceilings, but it was uneven, almost haphazard. It was as if the gate was releasing energy in pulses rather than an even rate.


    "Mother One, do you read?"


    There was no response, but that wasn''t out of the norm. Comms were unreliable in this region. They''d lost too much territory here and the nearest radio towers were miles away.


    "This is Outrider," she continued. "I''ve arrived in the investigation area and  found the gate. Region shows signs of irregular incursion and the gate itself appears unstable."


    As if to make her point for her, a burst of energy arced out and struck a nearby car immediately vaporized it.


    Muyeon blinked and waited for her armor to respond but there was nothing. No warning system or notification that the gate was unstable. In fact, the armor didn''t read the presence of the gate at all. It simply notified her that she was close to her waypoint.


    "Oh, shit."


    If the suit didn''t recognize the gate, then it didn''t recognize the danger that the gate posed. Which meant-


    She didn''t get to finish her thought. A charge bolt of energy reached out from the gate and struck her firmly in the chest.


    The armor responded immediately, throwing flashing warning signs and error messages.


    "This is Outrider! Something''s got me! I can''t-"


    A burst of static sent a ringing through her ears. She was at least four stories below the surface in an abandoned city on a failing world. The suit was holding up, but just barely. Muyeon could feel the armor starting to bleed heat as its cooling systems worked hard to keep its occupant from burning up.


    She was so focused on the suit that she didn''t realize the pull of the gate until she was right in front of it. The bolt pulled her closer to the gate.


    "Mother One! Keep all personnel back, I repeat-"


    With a final burst of energy, Muyeon blinked out of existence. The only proof she''d been there to begin with were the grooves but into the floor when the gate pulled her in.


    ***


    Muyeon raised the spear to block the incoming strike and felt the blow hit so hard that her teeth rattled. She spun around, dodging another attack before responding with a counter thrust of her own. A hand, barely human anymore, reached out and turned her attack aside, parrying it easily.


    The armor was slowing down. Without her helmet, there was no way to know for certain but more than likely her support and secondary functions were down. There was certainly enough power to make her a formidable adversary, but the thing fighting her was nearly fully transfigured.


    The spear screamed through the air as she brought it back around again and again, launching attack after attack. But each was easily dodged or parried. The Muyeon didn¡¯t even see the attack that hit her made it all the worse. A fist slammed into her ribs. She could feel the metal plates take the brunt of the impact, but it still felt like a hammer blow. And before she could catch her breath, the next blow launched her sideways and skipped her across the ground 10 feet before she crashed into the wall.


    Muyeon raised a hand to brush the hair from her face, but she pulled her hand away, it was covered in blood.


    Head injury. Likely not fatal.


    The second bit was wishful thinking, but at this rate it wouldn¡¯t matter. The longer this fight went on, the weaker she would be.


    Slowly, Muyeon lifted herself off the ground.


    She¡¯d been in enough battles to know that death came for everyone. The best someone could hope for was to meet it head-on.

 Sin in the Family (10)

    When he awoke, his body ached.


    Youngho shivered as his body slowly recognized the sub zero temperature of his environment. But it was more than that, almost as if the cold had invaded his body.


    Slowly, he rolled onto his chest and tried to push himself up only to tumble back down again. It took a second for him to realize the reason. His left arm was gone.


    The memory of what just happened played like a broken record, skipping frames and leaving him confused. But one thing was clear, he had attacked Jinyoung. The stranger had interfered. And then¡­


    If not for the pain, the shame would¡¯ve been enough to defeat him then and there. But the pain was a reminder that he wasn¡¯t alone. And arm or no arm, his children needed him.


    Getting up on his feet was a delicate process. He took for granted just how much he used both arms, if not actively for the strength they provided then for balance.


    Youngho took a deep breath and felt his shoulder. The cut was clean and¡­ cauterized?


    But there was no sign of a burn. In fact, the skin was deathly cold and only starting to warm up from his own body heat.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± A voice shouted. The voice was undeniably Hana¡¯s.


    His head swiveled to look for the source of the cry. The lab was in shambles, worse than he remembered. The stranger was fighting¡­ something. But instead of engaging, Hana and Jinyoung stood apart from the battle. He couldn¡¯t make out all the words, but he could guess. Youngho had expected this for some time. He just hoped it would take place somewhere calmer.


    Beyond the siblings, the armored stranger he himself had fought against was struggling against a new opponent.


    Slowly, he walked up to Willow who stood in disbelief.


    ¡°I need you to head back to the control and look for a way to disable the gate, Willow.¡±


    ¡°But sunbae and-¡±


    Youngho waved a hand. ¡°The control room needs looking at, I¡¯ll take care of these two.¡±


    ¡°Jinyoung, you wouldn¡¯t understand. He is my husband. And you¡¯ve never cared about any of us enough to come close to knowing how I feel.¡±


    He winced. Hearing his daughter speak those words hurt almost as if they were directed at him.


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    In response, he saw Jinyoung¡¯s face go still.


    But Youngho knew better. He¡¯d seen that expression when the boy was still a child. He saw it less as he grew older, but only because Jinyoung had grown better at hiding his emotions. Seeing it on him now broke the old man¡¯s heart.


    Hana¡¯s sword was level with her brother¡¯s neck.


    Her hand didn¡¯t shake from the weight, she was too experienced for that. Too well taught and too well trained.


    ¡°Oh, darling,¡± he whispered. ¡°This isn¡¯t what you want to do.¡±


    He tried to make his voice as reassuring as possible.


    Slowly, he moved between the two of them until the sword was level with his own neck as well as Jinyoung¡¯s. For his benefit, the boy made no move to leave or disarm Hana. And he didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Darling, this isn¡¯t the way.¡±


    Gently, he placed his hand on the blade and slowly pushed it down until it was safely at her side. Then, he took Hana¡¯s sword in his own hand and, without looking, handed it back towards Jinyoung.


    ***


    He looked at the sword Youngho held out to him. Then he looked up into his sister¡¯s eyes.


    In that moment he realized what they were asking of him.


    Jinyoung took the sword with two hands and cast a final glance at the two of them before turning around and [dashing] into the fight.


    Even as he moved to close the distance, he saw the armored stranger take two direct hits in succession. One swipe from Seunghyo¡¯s inhuman claws across the chest and a follow-up kick that knocked her back.


    Jinyoung didn¡¯t hesitate. He [charged] and moved in close before swinging his Hana¡¯s sword with all his might.


    But he misjudged. Hana used a short sword unlike his own bastard sword. The length was considerably shorter, enough so that Seunghyo leaned back and let the sword pass harmlessly by.


    With his arms swung wide, Jinyoung had left himself completely open. He tried his best to bring the sword back to center to present some semblance of defense, but it was too late. Seunghyo brought his head forward into a wicked headbutt that caught Jinyoung in his head. The pain was intense, so much so that he didn¡¯t even feel the kick that landed on his chest and sent him hurtling backwards.


    For a moment, Jinyoung thought he had been blinded before he realized that he had just received a head wound that was bleeding profusely. Before Seunghyo could follow-up with a deadly finish, the armored stranger pressed him back with a swing of her spear giving Jinyoung a short respite.


    ¡°A headbutt,¡± he muttered to himself.


    That wasn¡¯t normal. For monsters or for Seunghyo.


    [Details]


    Monster: SIN S3u&ghy0


    Recommended level: -7


    Attributes: SIN, FR-$TBITE (immune)


    Weaknesses: FIRE


    ¡°Monster,¡± he read aloud. The [scan] had changed again.


    Whether Seunghyo was in there or not, there wasn¡¯t anything they could do to save him. The best they could do now was close the gate and get out of here.


    With Willow out of the fight, there was nothing they could do to exploit his weakness. That meant they¡¯d need to fight Seunghyo head-on and defeat him. But with Youngho severely injured and Hana in her current state, that left Jinyoung and the stranger alone to deal with him.


    Jinyoung pushed himself to his feet and shifted his grip on Hana¡¯s sword.


    For a brief moment, he remembered the last time he had taken Hana¡¯s weapon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope things work out better than they did then,¡± he said to himself.

 Sin in the Family (11)

    The blow came so quickly and so suddenly that Jinyoung didn¡¯t recognize how hard he was hit at first. Sunspots flared in his vision and the dull impact of slamming against the wall barely registered.


    He wheezed and felt a sharp pain when he tried to take a deep breath. Probably broken ribs, he thought to himself. His arms and legs throbbed, but the pain was blunted. Other than his ribs, his bones seemed to be in working order.


    He slowly picked himself back up off the floor. His right hand was still gripping Hana¡¯s sword so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. Thus far, he¡¯d hit Seunghyo with three solid strikes, each one [charged]. The first had knocked him off balance, but the second two had barely fazed him.


    The same went for each of the stranger¡¯s attacks which hit significantly harder, but none of which slowed him down in any meaningful way.


    On the other hand, Seunghyo¡¯s strikes were devastating. One sideswipe had lifted Jinyoung off his feet before he [dashed] back and moved himself out of range of the follow-up.


    He moved in, trying to land a thrust while the stranger came in high with a wide sweeping blow. Seunghyo spun sideways in mid-air and landed deftly on one foot, using his momentum to kick out and knock the armored stranger back.


    Jinyoung would¡¯ve been impressed if he hadn¡¯t been on the receiving end of several hits just like that. Unlike Youngho, Seunghyo moved with precision. The attacks were just as savage, but he bobbed and weaved in and out of range. Even against two opponents, Seunghyo didn¡¯t just have the advantage, he was pressing it.


    Jinyoung shook his head and tried to clear the cobwebs from his brain. They needed something. A weakness or an opening, something they could exploit.


    ¡°[Scan]¡±, he whispered.


    [Details]


    Monster: SIN Seung4y0


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    Recommended level: 57


    Attributes: SI@, FR0STBITE (immune)


    Weaknesses: FIR3


    He blinked.


    Silently, he hoped that he was mistaken but the readout was clear.


    Right, level 57, he thought to himself.


    Based on that, Jinyoung was lucky to still be standing. The difference in power was staggering. At best, Jinyoung posed as much of a threat as a child would to a full-grown adult.


    He turned his attention to the armored stranger currently facing off against Seunghyo. She was doing her best, but he needed to get back in there. He might not pose much of a threat to him, but at least he could act as a distraction and create some openings.


    [Player Details]


    Name: Muyeon Shin


    Class: Sub Zero Lancer


    Level: ¨C


    Loading additional details¡­


    ¡°Muyeon,¡± he mumbled. At least he had a name now.


    The stranger¡¯s level and details weren¡¯t included in the readout, but that wasn¡¯t surprising at this point. Jinyoung suspected that whoever she was, she was a long way from home.


    ***


    Willow found an operational terminal and punched in a few keys at random, bringing the computer screen to life. An array of text scrolled up the screen before glitching out. The resulting text flew across the screen, but it was a mixture of letters, numbers of symbols. Completely unreadable.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± she said to herself.


    She tried not to glance out the blown out windows, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. Youngho had pulled Hana to the side while Jinyoung and the armored stranger did their best against Seunghyo. Or the monster that used to be Seunghyo.


    Even as she watched, he dodged multiple blows and delivered a powerful kick that knocked the stranger away. Jinyoung received a swift blow that would¡¯ve launched him several feet if not for the wall he crashed into.


    No, she thought to herself.


    This wasn¡¯t just bad. He was killing them.


    She unsheathed her long knife and held it out in front of her. It was a hunting knife that her mother had given her. It was beautifully crafted, but unlikely to hold up in the battle raging outside.


    A hand gripped her shoulder before she could move.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to help out there,¡± a voice behind her said.


    The hairs on the back of Willow¡¯s neck stood up on end as she suspected the worst. But when she turned around, she realized it wasn¡¯t Henry but someone else. Someone she vaguely recognized from the Seorak Outbreak.


    Willow found her voice unsteadily, ¡°Y-you¡¯re the technomancer.¡±


    Eunice nodded. ¡°I¡¯m here to help.¡±


    She let that statement set in before gently shifting Willow away from the terminal.


    System access, she whispered.

 Sin in the Family (12)

    QUEST: CRADLE of Ice (UNIQUE)


    Destroy the research drive (Complete)


    Destroy SIN (1/2)


    Destroy the CRADLE and close the GATE


    Reward: None.


    Unlike other players, technomancers had a permanently altered view of the world.


    The System fed them information which gave them a permanent HUD of their environment. It ranged from simple things like temperature and humidity to quest tracking. At the moment, she knew that it was -12oC in the control room with 14% humidity. She did her best to ignore the mysterious readout that ticked away in the corner of her view.


    Having a constant HUD was like looking at the world through a computer screen. And as a consequence, Eunice was used to looking at a constant output of data.


    But not like this.


    The screen was displaying a massive amount of data, beyond anything she¡¯d ever seen before. And, thanks to her skills, the system was displaying more data in her HUD. Some of the data was related to climate while others were coordinates like longitude and latitude. None of it reflected their current location or, potentially, anywhere else in the world. According to the data read out, it was raining in Antarctica while the temperature in Seoul was well over 100oF.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± she whispered.


    System access, admin control.


    The screen blinked before returning with a simple prompt asking for an input.


    Gate shutdown.


    It was a common misconception that the technomancer class gave her control over computers or other forms of technology.


    Reality was more complicated.


    Her class allowed her to communicate directly with the System which governed classes and skills in their world. But the System also contained endless information about everything in the world even if it wasn¡¯t directly related to the System.


    That meant while Eunice might not understand the interface language for the computer system governing the Cradle, the System did. And by referencing the system, she could operate the computer terminal as well as the people who designed it. It was like having a permanent cheat sheet.


    Or it should have been.


    Instead, there were blanks. Black boxes that the system wasn¡¯t able to translate.


    Eunice scrolled through the data coming in from the gate and noticed the lack of a pattern in the data. In some sections, the System translated the information easily and readily. In others, it just stopped. As if there was nothing there to be translated.


    Or as if the System doesn¡¯t want me to know what it says, she thought. As if the System is censoring itself.


    It was a chilling thought.


    Willow¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Can you shut down the Cradle?¡±


    Eunice shook her head. ¡°No... Yes. Maybe.¡±


    She turned her attention back to the screen and tried to figure out what she was looking at.


    The sounds of battle in the next room were tempting, but she kept her attention on the terminal in front of her. It wasn¡¯t that the computer system was particularly interesting or even the hurried tone of Willow¡¯s voice. It was the small indicator that had appeared in her vision the second she stepped foot in the silo. At first, Eunice mistook it for a temperature readout but that wasn¡¯t right.


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    Six numbers laid out in a row with the rightmost number ticking down. It couldn¡¯t be the time, it didn¡¯t match up properly and the numbers were ticking downard, not up.


    It dawned on her that it was a timer.


    For what, she wasn¡¯t certain. But whatever it was, she had the feeling that she didn¡¯t want to know what happened if it ticked down to zero.


    ***


    Jinyoung swung his sword and missed by a wide margin. The counter attack came swiftly, but he was able to shift his weight and avoid the strike altogether. There was a small opening, but he already knew it was a trick. Seunghyo had done the same thing with Muyeon only to whip around and deliver a swift kick to her chest.


    Each time he knocked her down, she took just a little longer to get back up. And that meant Jinyoung spent just a little longer dealing with Seunghyo alone.


    Thus far, his battles with monsters had increased in difficulty exponentially. Even the stone golem in the Black Shrine seemed cute compared to the sin wraiths and Frostbitten he¡¯d faced against in recent days.


    But Seunghyo was beyond anyone or anything he had encountered.


    The old man had been powerful under the effects of sin, but he was wild and untamed. Almost like a beast himself. Seunghyo fought with a controlled viciousness that was frightening to behold.


    Jinyoung watched as Hana¡¯s ex-husband deployed feints, dodges, parries and counter attacks against himself and Muyeon with alarming accuracy and efficiency. Judging by the power behind his blows, Seunghyo was most certainly stronger than them. But his years as a pathfinder and decades as a combat player shone through.


    His [scan] ability told him the attack was coming, but Jinyoung still had trouble moving quickly enough to parry the sideswipe. But it was a clean parry, a perfect one even. Seunghyo committed to the attack, but Jinyoung was able to divert the attack and send his opponent off-balance. And just for a moment, he was open.


    Jinyoung twisted his sword arm around, [charged] and thrust the short sword forward towards Seunghyo¡¯s torso. It felt like a clean strike, one that would no doubt pierce through and deal devastating damage.


    Just for a split second, Jinyoung mumbled a prayer and asked for Hana¡¯s forgiveness.


    It was hard to see what happened next. The sword twisted in his grip in one moment and in the next, he was sailing backwards through the air until he skidded across the rubble strewn floor before making hard contact with the wall.


    Seunghyo just stood there, staring at the sword he held in his clawed hand (edge first) with an almost curious look on his face. Then he turned his horrid glowing eyes on Jinyoung before tossing the short sword back to him.


    Jinyoung stared at the sword. The message was clear. Get back up. Fight.


    But before he could reach out and take hold of the sword, a pair of armored hands grabbed Seunghyo and drove him into the ceiling before dropping him onto the floor where he landed with a boom.


    Muyeon threw punch after punch, most of them landing before a hand reached out and caught one. Seunghyo caught the fist as easily as he might catch a ball. The return was just as ferocious. Each blow pushed Muyeon backward until she toppled under the force of the blow. She tried to block, but it was no use. She was being beaten back and clearly outmatched in hand-to-hand combat.


    But, the entire exchange looked wrong. Until now, he hadn¡¯t seen Muyeon attack with anything aside from¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s the spear?¡± he said aloud.


    It wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen. It could be that she hadn¡¯t summoned it back, but then that would leave Jinyoung completely unarmed and defenseless. Hana¡¯s sword and his own had no effect, but the spear might give him a fighting chance.


    [Scan].


    The pulse of energy washed out like a wave until he spotted an indicator pointing under a pile of rubble.


    He scrambled to the wreckage and worked as quickly as he could to clear the chunks of concrete and tiling until he saw the cold blue light flashing weakly underneath.


    Without hesitating, he reached out to grab the spear and felt the cold blast into his arm. It felt like everything below the shoulder was submerged in ice water.


    Jinyoung turned back to see Seunghyo beating on the stranger. Whatever strength she had left was gone. Her arms were raised in a semblance of defense, but it was clear that she was running on fumes.


    He didn¡¯t have a choice.


    Jinyoung [charged].


    Somehow, the cold was worse. It felt like it had invaded his entire being. Like he was engulfed in the spear¡¯s power and at its mercy.


    But when he [dashed], he immediately felt the difference. The power of the spear flowed through him and carried him further. At the end of the [dash], he extended the spear and thrust as hard as his numbed arms would allow.


    Seunghyo must¡¯ve sensed something because he shifted his weight at the last moment. Instead of piercing through his opponent¡¯s body, he cut through his shoulder. But the spear cut deep. Past the blackened flesh that looked cracked and hard, human blood bled out underneath.


    For a moment, Jinyoung was filled with hope. If Seunghyo could be hurt, then he could be killed.


    It was a sobering thought.


    Seunghyo dove straight at him, but Jinyoung pulled back easily with a [dash]. He [charged] again and let the skill fill him with ice and power. Each of Seunghyo¡¯s attacks came quickly, but Jinyoung leapt out of the way each time.


    Whatever powered the spear was powering him now. Yes, it was cold. Colder than anything Jinyoung had ever felt, but it was numb. For the first time since he returned, he wasn¡¯t thinking about the time he¡¯d lost with his loved ones. The fact that his little sister had grown up without him didn¡¯t trouble his mind. And the gnawing ache of seeing Seah with Cyrus felt like nothing.


    He was cold.

 Sin in the Family (13)

    The spear focused him.


    It was as if it heightened his senses and numbed everything else. His eyes were able to easily follow Seunghyo¡¯s movements and with [scan] he could predict his opponent¡¯s every move. But even then, he knew his chances were slim.


    Each time Jinyoung [charged], he was able to deliver a powerful blow to Seunghyo with the spear. But the constant use of mana was wearing on him. While [dash] was a simple enough skill to use, [charge] required a not-insignificant amount of mana to activate. Enough that using it ten times in a row was exhausting.


    Jinyoung dodged a particularly nasty swipe before counterattacking with a swing of the spear. [Scan] telegraphed the strike early enough that he was able to dodge it easily and see that Seunghyo had left himself wide open.


    He swung the spear with two hands, almost like a baseball bat. His arms swung straight through and his aim was true, but the blow was almost a glancing one. It hit with a resounding ¡°crack¡± but Seunghyo barely reacted. In fact, Jinyoung wasn¡¯t even sure he felt it.


    A blackened fist shot out but Jinyoung [dashed] back putting some distance between the two of them.


    Attacks without [charge] were useless. He could only defeat this monster with the use of skills and the spear together.


    Seunghyo moved to close the gap again, launching a barrage of attacks meant to kill or maim Jinyoung. As he side-stepped and parried each strike, he knew that there was only one way this ended. This monster, Seunghyo, had to die.


    Again, Jinyoung [charged] and waited for Seunghyo to attack. His opponent obliged with a wide two-handed slash that would¡¯ve beheaded the onion knight. Instead, Jinyoung bent backwards and let the attack sail harmlessly overhead before spinning around and delivering a thrust.


    The monster moved at the last moment and the skewering was instead a nasty cut across Seunghyo¡¯s abdomen.


    Dimly, Jinyoung was aware of Youngho and Hana watching him from a distance. Youngho had a grim look on his face but Hana¡¯s expression was unreadable.


    Jinyoung felt his face flush for a moment, but he pushed the thought from his mind. He let the cold of the spear back in and continued focusing his attention on the monster.


    But it¡¯s not a monster, it¡¯s Seunghyo.


    He blinked and in that instant, Seunghyo swung high with his clawed hands. The cut wasn¡¯t deep, but Jinyoung felt his jacket shred as pain surged through his shoulder.


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    Jinyoung tried to focus on the cold, but his mind raced.


    He had to kill Seunghyo. Not just for his own survival, but for that of everyone here.


    And if he failed to kill Seunghyo, then there was a chance¡­


    Jinyoung shook his head and tried to dislodge the thought from his mind.


    He sent out short thrusts that connected with Seunghyo, pushing him back. None of the strikes would cut through the blackened skin, but they would create enough distance for Jinyoung to center himself again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Seunghyo.¡±


    He felt the cold recede from his mind. Whatever the spear was, it was empowering, but it was also killing him. He could feel his muscles screaming in pain as the cold bit into them. It was the reason he was missing his strikes. He needed to be in full control of himself if he was going to do this.


    Seunghyo closed in. Without the cold determination of the spear, Jinyoung had a harder time dodging his attacks, but he did his best. Finally, he saw the opening he needed. Seunghyo dove forward at him, but Jinyoung [dashed] sideways.


    He was out of breath, but he had the opening he needed.


    Jinyoung stepped forward, preparing to thrust the spear. He felt the mana in his body pool together and electrify, allowing him to activate his skill.


    He [charged].


    It felt like he was swallowed up by the darkness for a second. Jinyoung had the peculiar sensation of his body falling, but nothing happened. He pushed his muscles and stepped forward and thrust the spear, but the spear fell out of his hands. His legs wobbled and he stumbled forward.


    Jinyoung didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Even as Seunghyo struck him in the chest, he didn¡¯t get it.


    It wasn¡¯t until Seunghyo threw him in the floor and he felt another of his ribs go, did he realize what it was.


    I¡¯m out of mana.


    He felt Seunghyo¡¯s hand grab him by the neck and lift him off the ground. His grip was tight and Jinyoung couldn¡¯t breathe. He struggled, but his body felt broken. He wasn¡¯t certain if it was the extent of his physical injuries or mana sickness from over exerting his magical energies. If it was the latter, he¡¯d be able to walk again soon, but his skills would be out of commission for a day or two.


    As black spots filled his vision, he realized it didn¡¯t matter. Seunghyo was squeezing the life out of him and this would be over soon enough. At the edge of his vision, he could see Hana run forward.


    No, run, he thought. Get out of here¡­


    The pressure increased and blackness filled his vision. This was it.


    But then it was gone. He felt his body crumple and hit the ground.


    What¡¯s going on?


    His sight slowly came back to him. He saw Seunghyo standing over him.


    Why didn¡¯t he kill me? What is he waiting for?


    Slowly the scene came into focus. Seunghyo stood over him, but his abdomen was pierced by the spear. The glowing beam of cold light had run straight through him.


    He blinked and tried to focus his eyes on the figure behind Seunghyo. And when he did, he tried to speak. To say something.


    But it was all he could do to speak her name.


    ¡°Hana.¡±

 Sin in the Family (14)

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    Seunghyo¡¯s voice was gentle.


    And he¡¯d always been gentle, but this was different. Hana looked up at him and saw herself reflected in his eyes. Her face was full and her smile was bright. For a moment, she imagined what life would be like if that¡¯s what she always looked like. If everyone in the world could see her that way. But of course, that didn¡¯t matter.


    He was enough.


    She nodded her head.


    ¡°He might still be out there somewhere, but I can¡¯t stop living my life. And I don¡¯t want to put this off any longer,¡± she said.


    Seunghyo¡¯s smile told her she was making the right choice.


    ¡°So?¡± The excitement in his voice was immediately evident.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hana echoed with a smile equally as wide. ¡°I mean, yes.¡±


    She stood up on her toes to whisper into his ear.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll marry you.¡±


    The cold spread through Hana¡¯s arms, threatening to push past her shoulders but her pounding heart kept it at bay. It kept the pain alive.


    Seunghyo shuddered. The black slowly faded away until his pink skin shone through.


    He opened his mouth to speak, but it came out like a whisper. ¡°Hana?¡±


    Before anyone could breathe, his legs buckled and he collapsed.


    Hana half-sat and and half-fell with him in her arms


    Seunghyo smiled, that same smile that promised Hana dozens of times that things would be okay.


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    He put his hand on her cheek. It was warm. ¡°You okay?¡±


    She nodded and hoped she looked as brave as she was pretending to be.


    ¡°Not the reunion you were planning?¡± she asked.


    Seunghyo smiled again. His eyes twinkled and he took Hana¡¯s hand in his. They were cold, but he kept smiling reassuringly.


    Tears filled Hana¡¯s eyes, but she didn¡¯t dare blink or wipe them away. She just kneeled there waiting for him to speak.


    ***


    Jinyoung stopped.


    It felt like his heart had stopped beating. He knew what he had to do next, but¡­  He tried to move, tried to speak. But his feet wouldn¡¯t move and tongue went dry in his mouth. Seconds passed like hours and in that instant he knew he would remember this moment for the rest of his life.


    Eventually, he found his hands on Hana¡¯s and gently moved her hands from the spear. Her hands shook from the cold and shock. Instinctively, Jinyoung took her hands in his and clutched them tight.


    ¡°Hana, we-¡±


    Jinyoung, we¡¯ve found a way to close the gate but we need to hurry!


    Youngho gently took her weight on his own and nodded at the gate.


    ¡°We¡¯re not done,¡± he said.


    Jinyoung forced himself to let Youngho take Hana away while he turned to face the gate. Until now, it had flickered ominously, but now the lights were flashing chaotically. It reminded him of a pot of boiling water. Unstable. Dangerous.


    We? He responded wearily before making his way to the collapsed section of the room where Muyeon sat. The battle had taken its toll, but her eyes blazed with life. If not for her injuries, he had no doubt that she could rise up again and fight a hundred more battles.


    The gate has an overload sequence, but it¡¯s a two-way system. There¡¯s one on our side and another on the other. Willow sounded distant. Jinyoung, the cradle is shielded. And while we can¡¯t deactivate the shield, we can overload it.


    That sounds safe.


    Jinyoung held out a hand and helped the stranger back to her feet.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re from, isn¡¯t it? The ¡®other side¡¯?¡±


    Muyeon looked at Jinyoung thoughtfully. She had never been off-world before, generally trips through gates were one-way. The few that had gone through the gates and returned described worlds overrun and beyond ruin. They described hell.


    But there were people here. They lived, fought, and died of their own will and volition.


    The warriors here had no knowledge of Volux, which meant that however much things had progressed here, they were still in the early stages of their apocalypse.


    Muyeon nodded. ¡°And it¡¯s time I went back.¡±


    Jinyoung took a deep breath.


    Willow, get Hana and the old man out of here. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.

 Broken (1)

    ¡°Even the finest sword will rust.¡±


    Of the many things his grandfather said to him, this was his admonishment of choice. Whether Cyrus was taking a well-earned break from training or simply stopping a session to hydrate, his grandfather would materialize from the shadows to offer this rebuke.


    Then, being the dutiful grandson, Cyrus would bow his head low and return to his exercises. Eventually, it got to the point that Cyrus would hear the words whether his grandfather was there to speak them or not. In his quiet moments or sometimes before he fell asleep in bed, he would hear the old bastard¡¯s words.


    He hated it.


    Even in the frozen north, he could almost hear the rasp of Grisham¡¯s voice. Reminding him of the sacrifices made on his behalf and chastising him for not working harder.


    ¡°Cyrus.¡±


    Seah¡¯s words broke through the spell and shook him from his trance.


    She stood there in a sleek coat, far too thin for the cold weather while he had layers of padding under his heavy armor. He could see why the others regarded her with such fear and respect.


    She spoke again and he could hear it. A slight uptick in her tone. Annoyance, perhaps.


    ¡°Did you turn off your clan chat?¡±


    He chuckled. There were only two people in the world who could chide him. The first was his grandfather. The second was his wife who, he was starting to realize, bore more similarities to the former than he realized.


    Updates? He asked.


    Sir, it¡¯s Eunice. I¡¯ve made contact with the Phoenix.


    Cyrus¡¯ eyes widened. He¡¯d half expected that Jinyoung and Hana would be lost to the north. Just another story of a clan that bit off more than they could chew.


    He breathed a sigh of relief. Good, pull back and get everyone out before-


    No good, sir. Things have progressed further than we thought here. The barony didn¡¯t just research man-made gates, they¡¯ve been operating one.


    The reality of the statement took a second to sink in. More than monsters or even player-killers, the gates were the most dangerous things on the planet. They were responsible for releasing death and destruction on the world. They were the reason that thousands of children were orphaned during the Break including Cyrus, Hana, and Jinyoung.


    They opened the gate, he said through gritted teeth.


    Yes, sir. I have three accounted for, but¡­ we have one man down and one man behind.


    Cyrus whirled around and headed back to the command post.


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    Behind him, Seah tried to calm him down. ¡°Your grandfather was adamant. We can¡¯t move up north unless there is confirmation of imminent danger.¡±


    But Cyrus had no interest in discussing it further. In any normal situation, Eunice would¡¯ve reported this in person. The only reason for her to contact them would be if something was wrong.


    It only took a few steps before he found the man he was looking for. The man saluted, but Cyrus didn¡¯t bother. There wasn¡¯t a second to waste.


    ¡°Captain,¡± he called out. ¡°Prepare to move out immediately. Leave behind a few men, but I want a full contingent ready to leave in 2 minutes.¡±


    The man bowed and barked orders that echoed through the camp. A resounding chorus of heavy boots rumbled in response. The camp had fewer than 30 players, but it sounded like an army.


    Cyrus turned to leave, but Seah¡¯s hand caught him on his chest and stopped him. ¡°Cyrus, even at my speed, I would still take an hour to get there. We won¡¯t get there in time to offer any help. You know that. And your grandfather-¡±


    He leaned in close to his wife and looked her in the eye. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving them alone up there, Seah.¡±


    Instead of giving her a chance to respond, he barked an order at Eunice. I don¡¯t care what it takes, shut down the gate.


    I¡¯ll try, but there¡¯s a complication, sir.


    In a rare show of emotion, he saw Seah¡¯s expression tinged with concern. But it was only for a second before the mask was back in place.


    What is it?


    Eunice hesitated. That was unusual for her.


    The gate generator, the cradle, has a shield barrier to protect it from the effects of the gate. In order to shut that off, I had to overload the system which¡¯ll lead to a catastrophic system collapse. But it¡¯ll leave the cradle open long enough for-


    Cyrus cut her off. Give me the short version.


    Someone had to stay behind and destroy the cradle while the shield¡¯s down.


    ¡°¡®Had to¡¯?¡± Seah murmured.


    Cyrus could tell the two of them had the same thought, but he didn¡¯t want to be the one to voice it.


    What are you saying, Eunice?


    None of us have movement abilities that would give us a shot of getting out when the entirety of the silo collapses except Jinyoung. He insisted he stay behind.


    Cyrus closed his eyes. This was the Black Shrine all over again. While he might have conflicted feelings about Jinyoung, this was far from the outcome he was hoping for.


    Get out, we¡¯ll rendezvous with you on the edge of town. Cyrus, out.


    Slowly, he turned to Seah, hoping to offer some comfort or solace.


    She was gone.


    ***


    The gate bubbled and flashed, almost like it was churning.


    Even Jinyoung could see that Muyeon wasn¡¯t sure if stepping through the gate was the right decision. But the cradle had to be destroyed from both sides in order to shut the gate down for good.


    After a moment, the armored figure stepped into the gate and was gone.


    Jinyoung gripped Hana¡¯s short sword in one hand and his broken bastard sword in the other.


    The plan was simple. In fifteen minutes, Jinyoung would deactivate the shield and destroy the cradle. That would give Hana and the others enough time to clear the silo and get to safety before the entire structure imploded. Meanwhile, Jinyoung would use [dash] to (hopefully) get clear of the destruction.


    The others tried to fight him on it, but it was the obvious decision. None of them had a movement ability that would allow them to cover large distances quickly. And, besides, [dash] barely required any mana which would allow him to use it rapidly.


    Of course, Jinyoung left out the fact he was completely out of mana. Attempting to use [charge] earlier had nearly killed him and while he was certain he could use [dash] at least twice, he was also certain that spamming it would kill him.


    That gave him fifteen minutes to figure out a solution.

 Broken (2)

    Muyeon took one look around her and shook her head in disbelief before stepping through the gate.


    Jinyoung sighed in relief when she took the spear with her through the gate. As powerful as the weapon was, it was an unknown variable that didn¡¯t belong in this world.


    [Timer 13:07]


    ¡°What now?¡± he wondered aloud.


    The seconds ticked away slowly as he made his way to the control room. The entirety of it was in ruins with the exception of one terminal and even it flickered with uncertainty.


    Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him, but Jinyoung fought against it. He could be tired later, now he needed to keep his wits about him and look for a way out.


    If the lab contained anything of use, it was likely shredded by now. There was nothing of use here.


    That left the tools Jinyoung had at his disposal. Instinctively, he checked his System menu.


    QUEST: CRADLE of Ice (UNIQUE)


    Destroy the research drive (Complete)


    Destroy SIN (Complete)


    Destroy the CRADLE and close the GATE


    Reward: None.


    The quest screen appeared immediately. A stark reminder of everything that had just happened, from Younho¡¯s arm to Seunghyo¡¯s death. He almost closed the System without thinking, but spotted a notification.


    [Leveled up!]


    JINYOUNG KIM


    Novice CLASS - Level 24


    At least there¡¯s that.


    In just over a few months, Jinyoung had gone from level 10 to 24. That was virtually unheard without the help of a guide or a broker. More than a reflection of skill or power, it was a reminder of the danger and struggle he¡¯d gone through over the past weeks.


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    Of course while a fighter or a rogue would be strategizing on where to put their next set of stat points his would be automatically distributed so there was no need to even check.


    But there was an upside to all this. His wisdom stat was at 24 which meant his mana would recover faster. Not as fast as a scholar like Willow, but much faster than a normal player.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but it was something.


    ¡°Moving on.¡±


    The Skills menu.


    [Dash+] was his main active skill. If he was lucky, he would be able to recover enough mana in the next 12 minutes to [dash] most of the way out of the silo. But even so, it would require hundreds of [dashes] to escape safely and he doubted it was possible without encountering mana sickness.


    Neither [charge+] or [scan+] had any immediate application, but he still paused when he checked the skills. Both had the telltale red dot, signifying a skill-specific notification.


    While there were more pressing matters, it was worth checking out. After all, if there was a sudden update to skill that could help him, he needed to know now.


    Instead of showing him an update on the skills themselves, checking the notification took him to his quests.


    ¡°What the hell¡­?¡±


    QUEST: The Path of the ONION KNIGHT (II)


    OBJECTIVE: SCAN 10 Unknown items.


    Current progress: 1/10 scanned (10%)


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    QUEST: The Path of the WIND (II)


    OBJECTIVE: Use [DASH+] to move across 10,000 km of distance


    Current Progress: 8,569/10,000 km (85.7%)


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    QUEST: The Path of INNER STRENGTH (II)


    OBJECTIVE: Deflect 10,000 DMG while CHARGED.


    Current progress: 1,409 DMG (1.4% completed)


    REWARD: New ASPECT


    Jinyoung had assumed that his class was unique, but this was unheard of. Under normal circumstances, skills did not change. A ¡°fireball¡± skill would remain such no matter how many skill points were used to upgrade it. But, a later skill unlocked in another class could change its shape, form, or even the element associated with the skill.


    It could take years or longer just to upgrade one skill. But here, Jinyoung had access to three separate quests that would upgrade three separate skills.


    Jinyoung, can you hear me?


    Willow¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts. He¡¯d have plenty of time to think about this later.


    Is everyone clear? He asked.


    I¡¯m afraid not.


    The voice was familiar, but it wasn¡¯t Hana or Willow.


    Who-


    This is Eunice. The short story is technomancers have access to system level communications, but that¡¯s not what¡¯s important. I¡¯m reading an increase in readings around the cradle generator.


    While he didn¡¯t understand exactly what she was talking about, Jinyoung knew enough to grip the swords in his hands tighter.


    I assume that¡¯s not good. Want to try that in English?


    While he spoke, the gate started to flash violently and the humm of generators grew deafening. The gate flashed brilliantly and three bolts of energy struck the ground, sending up a rain of rubble and clouds of dust.


    Jinyoung used [scan], but he already knew what they were.


    It means you¡¯ve got company.


    [Three SIN Wraiths detected.]