#32. Shadow Wolf (蔭影狼)
#32. Shadow Wolf (蔭影狼)
Eun-ha woke to an unusually fresh morning and tilted her head at the conspicuous absence of Hong Yuri. Normally, the woman would have been there glaring and barking at her for being late. Had she overslept? On the off chance, Eun-ha headed for Team 3's room and opened the door. A team member greeted her warmly.
"Oh, long time no see?"
"Good morning. Has the Vice-Team Leader not come in yet?"
The man scratched the back of his head and spoke toward a closed door.
"Old man. Is the Vice-Team Leader here?"
"Why are you looking for that woman? Better off without her. Anyway, kid, go look at the news. The news."
"Why the news?"
"It's absolutely insane. The footage of Alpha that got caught on CCTV. It's on the news now."
"You mean the stuff that was on NewTube a while back?"
"Yeah, that. And more keeps surfacing."
She wasn't here. Eun-ha nodded at the voice drifting in from the next room and closed the door again.
"Alpha..."
The pull to go was overwhelming — but the same advice had been drilled into her several times already. This was the moment to focus on training. Eun-ha steadied her breathing and resolved to start alone if she had to.
'She'll be back soon.'
But when an entire day had slipped by, Eun-ha tilted her head again. This wasn't like her — she wouldn't vanish without a word. After hesitating a moment, she picked up her phone.
[The call cannot be connected. After the tone, you will be forwarded to voicemail...]
"......?"
The failed call only deepened her confusion.
***
A tree was ripped out whole, roots and all. The severed trunk crashed into a rocky cliff and splintered. Cast-iron legs gouged deep into the earth.
An unstoppable charge. Every stride shook the ground with monstrous force. The Rock Armor Dragon's tail whipped toward the Wolf as it hurled its body aside, carrying enormous rotational power. The raw force pulverized a wall of air — and in the next instant, the Wolf's form flickered and vanished.
"Kuoooooh!"
The invisible Wolf. The Rock Armor Dragon's roar made the very heavens and earth tremble. In the brief moment when the noonday sun cast a shadow across its carapace, the Wolf materialized and sank its fangs into the dragon's nape. But tearing through a throat protected by that thick carapace was no easy feat. As the Rock Armor Dragon thrashed violently and the Wolf seemed on the verge of being flung loose, dozens of tentacles and shadows erupted from its body. Twisting grotesquely as though each possessed its own will, they bound and pierced the dragon's entire form.
"———!"
The Rock Armor Dragon screamed and hurled itself toward the cliffside. The Wolf vanished again. The dragon collided with the rocky face, and the whole formation crumbled under the impact. Shadows deepened among the falling debris, and the dragon shrieked. From the rising dust, a geyser of blood shot upward and torn chunks of armor scattered into the air.
—By the time a fierce wind swept the dust away, the Rock Armor Dragon was nowhere to be seen.
[Rock Armor Dragon (巖鉀龍) consumed. Experience Points and Satiety increase.]
The Wolf turned away as though nothing had happened. Beneath the collapsed cliff, only a bloodstain remained to prove the moment hadn't been a dream.
"Mm."
Baekrok let out a low groan. Barely a month had passed since that first meeting in the Illusion Realm, yet now he could no longer guarantee a victory. No — nine times out of ten...
'I'd be the loser.'
He shook his head slowly.
The creature had become a different kind of monster entirely. A Rock Armor Dragon was a beast even Wyverns avoided. The Wolf, which had been rippling without solid form, drew its shadow back and at last revealed its shape.
[Tyrant (Shadow Wolf) Lv.9] [EXP 120628 / 120628] [Karma 0.97%] [Shadow Volume 179.59cm³]
[Body Length 2.37m] [Shoulder Height 91.1cm] [Weight 126.6kg]
[STR 216] [AGI 245] [VIT 289] [MP 251] [Willpower 10]
[Skill List]
Devouring (C) Lv.2, Tentacle Bundle (E) Lv.9, Detection (D) Lv.7, Regeneration (D) Lv.4, Superior Stealth (C) Lv.5, Insight (D) Lv.5, Superior Hearing (D) Lv.1, Faint Sixth Sense (E) Lv.3, Superior Sight (D) Lv.1, All Damage Reduction (D) Lv.8, Hardening (D) Lv.7, Change (E) Lv.9, Faint Poison Resistance (E) Lv.1, Intimidation (E) Lv.5, Appetite (D) Lv.8, Swimming (F) Lv.9, Diving (F) Lv.8, Superior Elasticity (D) Lv.4, Discernment (E) Lv.9, Gust (C) Lv.5, Superior Smell (D) Lv.1, Excellent Intuition (D) Lv.6, Dark Vision (F) Lv.9, Magic Regeneration (D) Lv.4, Ghost Flame (C) Lv.3, Pain Nullification (D), Fairy Language (F), Stowage (E) Lv.2, Shadow Domination (B)
[Remaining Skill Points: 20]
The Wolf studied itself, as if surveying its own form, and gave a satisfied nod.
'Finally maxed out.'
After evolving at Level 30, its status had taken a hit when it reset to Level 1. It had fought its way back to Level 9, but only by devouring most of the monsters left in the Dragon's Wasteland. Not only did the system demand significant experience from Level 1 onward, the amount of experience ordinary monsters could provide had also dropped sharply.
'...At this point, monsters like Running Raptors barely give anything.'
Most monsters were the same. It wasn't that they yielded nothing, but the efficiency was abysmal. Better to just hunt something else.
'And 1%.'
That was how much Karma the evolution had consumed — exactly ten times what it had cost to become a Skull Wolf. And that same 'indescribable something' had surfaced again. The more Karma burned, the more vividly it could be felt.
'...I think I understand now.'
It wasn't a 'something' at all — he shook his head sharply. It wasn't a problem he could solve just by brooding over it now anyway. The fairy dragon, awake once more, let out a long yawn and coiled itself atop his head.
"Kiyurururuk!"
It had been flustered at first when it discovered it could no longer slip inside his skull. Now, delighted by the fur, it kept rubbing itself against him. His outward appearance was that of a Black Wolf — except patches of blue fur sprouted here and there like strands of early grey. When he wrapped himself in shadow like a veil, the fairy dragon basked in the shade it cast and chirped with delight.
'What am I, a hotel?'
It seemed to be making itself more comfortable by the day. A dry laugh escaped him.
'And the shadow volume.'
His reserve of shadow. Given that the unit was cubic centimeters, it was clearly a measure of volume. It had started as a small sphere barely 3cm in diameter, but every monster he killed increased its size. Now it was a sphere of about 7cm.
'The mechanism is fascinating.'
He couldn't absorb the entire area of a shadow, but the fact that he could grow the volume was encouraging. And most importantly...
'Shadow Domination.'
The evolution bonus and his first B-rank skill. As befitted its grade, its utility and power were beyond reproach. The one regret was that shadows had no physical substance, which meant he couldn't channel Ghost Flame (C) through them the way he could with his tentacles.
'That stings a little.'
He had genuinely considered evolving into a Defiler. A liquid body could have spread Ghost Flame (C) everywhere. But evolving into a house-sized Defiler would have meant abandoning his entire combat style. If the Shadow Wolf had been just as gigantic, he might have chosen the Defiler instead.
'And there wasn't much reason to go Amorphous.'
The single greatest advantage of an Amorphous form was, without question, free transformation. But with the Change skill, he could cover that to some degree — which made the distinction largely meaningless. The perk of feeling no pain was likewise superseded by Pain Nullification.
'Still, I'll miss the Evil Eye.'
But Shadow Domination, at B-rank, had higher potential than that. He quashed his regret and met Baekrok's gaze.
"Are you leaving now?"
Baekrok asked, as if reading his intent. They hadn't formally cleared the dungeon yet, but the truly troublesome monsters — the Wyvern, the Earth Serpent, the Rock Armor Dragon — were all already dealt with. Finishing the clear would be effortless now. The feeling was one of refreshing release.
"Yeah."
More than anything, now that his level-up was blocked by an achievement condition, there was no reason to stay in the Illusion Realm.
It was time to go to the Reality Realm — to the Academy.
***
"It's done. You can board now."
"...We're really crossing in this?"
The boat launched under cover of darkness was truly tiny. A rowboat. They had used the newest materials available, but at the end of the day, a rowboat was still a rowboat.
"You already knew. Just get on. Keep your voice down."
Since the Cataclysm of the Sea had appeared, the ocean no longer belonged to humanity. There was no chance it would show up in shallow territorial waters like these, but other marine monsters haunted the sea. If the boat took even half a hit, it would be a disaster. They couldn't use anything with a motor or propulsion system if they wanted to avoid detection. They had no choice but to row.
"Goddammit."
Hong Yuri sighed and climbed aboard as if she had no say in the matter. Under most circumstances she could simply fly using magic, but they needed to travel nearly thirty kilometers. Once both passengers were aboard, Woo-taek slowly began to row.
"Quietly. You know the drill."
Woo-taek nodded. They rowed through the silent night sea for an hour before the island finally came into view.
"We made better time than I expected."
"Is Gwanghwi really here?"
"No idea. We can only trust the intel."
In exchange for helping dismantle the Blind Spot, Gu Jin-ha had demanded information from Anella and Purple Square about Gowon. The reply that came back was brief: 'Gwanghwi has headed for Deokjeok Island.' A short message, but Gwanghwi was one of Gowon's most formidable fighters — a man who ranked no lower than third in the entire clan. He might just be the link connecting the Prodigal Sons to Gowon.
'And that's why we came all the way out here.'
The island, however, was desolate and still.
After that thing had appeared in the ocean, everyone on the islands had returned to the mainland. Nearly fifty years had passed since then, so it was only natural. If this were an island the size of Jeju, perhaps — but there was no way anyone remained on this tiny speck of land. Shortly afterward, Hong Yuri's eyes gleamed.
"Found him."
Tracking Magic Eye — her skill had picked up someone's trail. They followed footprints and faint lingering traces until they reached a sign so battered it looked ready to fall: 'Deokjeokmyeon Deokjeoknam-ro.'
"Deokjeoknam-ro?"
"We're almost there."
Hong Yuri led the group forward. A flat coastline came into view, and soon they reached the shore. Instead of a broad sandy beach — the first thing they saw was a hideous carnival of flesh. Countless chunks of meat squirmed and writhed across the ground.
"...No way."
"Yes. It's the same kind we saw at Ihyeon Park."
Flesh monsters. They no longer seemed capable of regeneration, but they were still twitching. Woo-taek bent down and picked up a chunk. Hong Yuri recoiled and shouted.
"Hey! Are you insane?! Fucking — that's disgusting!"
Woo-taek examined the flesh, closed his fist, and crushed it. Gu Jin-ha shook his head.
"What the hell happened here... At least it's certain the Prodigal Sons are present."
Gu Jin-ha shook his head and scanned the surroundings, but there was nothing else to see. He turned his gaze back to Hong Yuri. With a look of revulsion, she gave a short nod.
"That way. Not far now."
"Team Leader. If it's the same thing we saw in the Ihyeon Park dungeon..."
"You checked yourself. This is probably a degraded version."
Woo-taek gave a small nod. If they were identical to the ones from the dungeon, even severed bits would have kept regenerating. They walked on, and soon a town center emerged. More scattered chunks of flesh littered the streets everywhere. Gu Jin-ha pressed down on a piece with his sheathed sword.
"How much further?"
"Right up ahead."
The trail was trackable now even without the Tracking Magic Eye. They could sense presences through mana detection — and more than anything, there were the mounds of flesh visible beyond the buildings.
"Woo-taek."
"I'll head to the pier first."
At the brief call of his name, Woo-taek immediately understood and nodded. He sprinted off to re-launch the boat they had anchored on land. As he left, Gu Jin-ha asked Hong Yuri.
"Where's Gwanghwi?"
"...Over there."
Gu Jin-ha followed her gaze and reinforced his eyesight with mana. He saw a man darting nimbly between building walls and rooftops.
"Gwanghwi? And what is that?"
Gwanghwi was fighting someone. He held a clear advantage, but his expression was grim for some reason.
"I can't make sense of this."
The situation was baffling. They had merely followed Gwanghwi's trail, yet somehow he was locked in combat with someone. Then, in the moment Gwanghwi's arrow pierced the man's heart, the body dissolved into a massive mound of flesh.
"......!"
The Monk had said that the flesh monster they encountered in the Forest Dungeon was Gu Ma-jun transformed. They'd struggled to believe it then, but seeing it with their own eyes left no room for doubt. Becoming a flesh heap meant being tied to the Prodigal Sons. So why was Gwanghwi fighting them? Hadn't Gowon allied with the Prodigal Sons?
In that instant, Gwanghwi's eyes flashed and their gazes met. Gu Jin-ha, deciding there was no reason to get tangled up in something they didn't understand, started to speak.
"Hong Yuri. Let's pull back first and reassess...?"
"—Alb pur Stelele sunt sa explodeze!"
"What are you doing right now?!"
"Iată moartea ta—!"
Three verses. Having finished the incantation before anyone realized, Hong Yuri unleashed her spell. Pure white light flared and three flesh monsters were horrifically immolated. Gu Jin-ha stared in disbelief and grabbed her roughly by the shoulder.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Too late, you jackass."
She jerked her chin. Woo-taek was already returning from the direction she indicated — and in that short span of time, his entire body was now plastered in blood and shredded flesh. It was clearly not his own, but just the sight of it told Gu Jin-ha everything. He pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Damn it. We walked into a trap."
One of them should have stayed to guard the boat. It was almost certainly smashed to pieces by now. There would be no easy escape from this island. As that thought settled, Gu Jin-ha felt a razor-sharp gaze on him and drew his sword on pure instinct. An arrow, sliced in half, clattered to the ground at his feet.
"......!"
He had only managed to cut it because it was a warning shot. If it had been imbued with mana? The thought made his blood run cold.
'He really is Gwanghwi.'
"Dawn's Three Swordsman. What brings you here?"
Gwanghwi had vanished again without Gu Jin-ha ever dropping his guard. His voice came from everywhere and nowhere, an echo with no discernible source.
"Hong Yuri."
"I know. I'm watching."
It wasn't just Gwanghwi. Hong Yuri was also tracking someone far in the distance. Gwanghwi was calmly addressing them from the rooftop of a church nearly three hundred meters away.
'From this range...'
His arrows never missed. Calling three hundred meters a gap was almost laughable where he was concerned. Before he could draw his bowstring a second time, Gu Jin-ha shouted.
"We came here following you!"
The flesh monsters' attention converged on them. But judging by the way Hong Yuri's three-verse incantation had prevented them from regenerating, these were indeed a degraded version of the ones from the Forest Dungeon. This wasn't a repeat of the worst-case scenario — the possibility that those things could be arrayed in hordes.
"Following me?"
Gwanghwi's expression flickered with puzzlement. He released the string. Gu Jin-ha moved to intercept, but the arrow curved on an uncanny trajectory and pierced straight through a flesh mound. Then the mound detonated from within, as if a grenade had gone off inside it. A flurry of light and arrows bloomed through the air, and the flesh heaps fell one after the next. By the time every visible mass of flesh had been dispatched —
"I'd heard Dawn had a mage from the Squares. Those are remarkable eyes, just as the rumors say."
He hadn't lost track of Gwanghwi for an instant, and the man acknowledged it with something like admiration as he finally revealed himself. He was a man with a scar slashing diagonally across his face.
"It's been a long time, Gwanghwi."
"Spare me the small talk. Explain what you meant by following me."
"You son of a—!"
Gu Jin-ha restrained Hong Yuri before she could finish. He felt exactly the same way. Who was interrogating whom here? He let out a hollow laugh and shot back at Gwanghwi.
"You can't claim ignorance of what's been happening. Surely you aren't thinking of denying everything?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean."
Gwanghwi answered evenly and nocked an arrow. This time, the mana gathering around him was thick and seething.
"Who's to say you three aren't allied with these creatures?"
"You already know who I am. I was on the front lines during the Battle of Daejeon. And you're the one who looks suspicious here, not us. You need to explain yourself."
Gu Jin-ha swept his gaze over the chaotic carnage around them.
"What exactly are these flesh monsters? And what is your connection — what is Gowon's connection — to the Prodigal Sons?"
Gwanghwi studied the three of them with a sharp, calculating eye.
—The red-haired girl had finished her incantation long ago. She was holding a spell in reserve, and who knew how many verses it contained. Off to one side, a solidly built young hunter stood with his fists clenched. Even the Three Swordsman directly in front of him was a difficult opponent on his own. If this turned into a fight, his odds were slim. Revealing himself had been a mistake.
In the explosive tension of that hair-trigger moment, Gwanghwi slowly shook his head.
"...I have no choice. I'll talk."
***
A dream that felt as if it would last forever. The intervals between the dreams were growing steadily shorter. Each one was more vivid, as though it might crash into reality at any second.
She had tried to escape. Again and again, she'd tried.
It didn't matter how. No matter how desperately she thrashed, it was useless. There was no escaping the nightmares — she had long since given up on that.
"......."
She heard whispering. The ache in her chest because no one believed her — she had accepted that too, at some point. She no longer told anyone. All she could do was pray that this nightmare would never become real.