I Did It!!
Seo Ayoung glanced around anxiously, but I just shrugged it off like it was no big deal.
"When have gate environments ever been normal for more than a day or two? Glitches happen sometimes. Let's take down the monsters quick before they freeze and snag their hides."
We pressed on cautiously, deeper into the snow-blanketed forest path. And before long, we emerged into a vast, open clearing.
"Huh…? Oppa. What's that?"
"What?"
Seo Ayoung pointed with a trembling finger at the center of the clearing. There lay a creature utterly unlike the black scorpion leopards we'd fought earlier.
"No… it's a leopard, sure, but… why's it that huge? Elephant-sized? And no scorpion tail… its fur's blindingly white?"
Catching its breath in the middle of the snowfield was a colossal beast the size of an elephant, its beautiful silvery-white fur gleaming. Blue chill poured endlessly from its nostrils and claws.
I recognized it and let out a yelp of horror.
"Wh-why the hell is that here! No way!"
Memories from the monster manuals I'd devoured dreaming of becoming a combat hunter flashed through my mind.
"What is it?!"
"You don't even know!? It's an Ice Panther!! Ice Panther!"
The Ice Panther was an A-rank mana beast capable of freezing everything around it with its cold mana aura.
"Crazy!! This is a D-rank gate—why's an A-rank monster here?!"
"What…?"
Taesoo hyung went pale and staggered back, while Seo Ayoung's face drained of color as she gripped her sword hilt, trembling.
Common sense said a D-rank party encountering an A-rank monster meant certain death.
Damn it all— no wonder my gut was screaming at me!!
Grrrrr—
The massive predator sprawled in the silvery snow perked its ears, then slowly turned its head toward us.
We were dozens of meters away, but the moment our eyes locked—its icy blue pupils piercing right through me—my heart plummeted.
Overwhelming killing intent. A league beyond any D-rank scorpion leopard I'd faced.
"ROOOOAR—!!!"
The Ice Panther rose and unleashed a savage roar skyward. What kind of leopard gets named after its size? Just that bellow whipped up a blizzard storm that swallowed us three whole.
"We have to run!"
No matter the Dragon Heart in my chest, my brains and combat smarts boiled down to hurling spears real hard. I had zero clue how to tango with a legit powerhouse like this. No front-line experience against true monsters.
"Hyung! Ayoung! Don't look back—run!! Straight to the portal NOW!!"
I bellowed at the top of my lungs. But Seo Ayoung's reaction was nothing like I'd expected.
"N-no way! At that speed, the second we turn our backs, it'll rip us apart!"
Seo Ayoung. Sure, pampered little sister of a powerhouse, but still an academy-trained hunter. Pale as a ghost, she thrust her sword forward and planted her shaking legs to block our path.
"You and ajusshi go first! I'll buy you time…!"
"Hey!! Are you insane?! It's A-rank! We can't scrap with that!!"
I lunged to grab her wrist in panic—
BOOM—!!
The Ice Panther kicked off the ground and launched into the air. Its multi-ton bulk belied the speed—it was on us in a blink, swinging a massive forepaw.
Murderous cold aura hurtled down like lightning toward Seo Ayoung's head. Too fast for any reaction.
"Ayoung!!"
"Miss Ayoung!!"
Instinct kicked in— she crossed her swords overhead, and Taesoo hyung dove toward her.
CLAAAAANG—!!!Shatter—!
Taesoo hyung somehow parried the blow with her swords, but they pulverized in one hit. Blood sprayed from both their mouths.
"Ngh…! Gahk!!"
Seo Ayoung, caught in the A-rank beast's insane strength and cold gale, and Taesoo hyung shielding her—both ragdolled backward dozens of meters like paper.
Crash—! Thud—!!
"Ayoung! Hyung!!"
They slammed into massive trees like discarded trash, heads lolling limply. Seo Ayoung passed out clutching her sword shards; Taesoo hyung's forehead split open, eyes rolled back in blackout.
Two seconds flat from start to finish. My first rodeo—I couldn't even twitch.
"Grrrrr…"
One swipe cleared the annoying flies. The Ice Panther turned leisurely toward the only one left standing: me.
"……."
My feet wouldn't budge. Turn tail now, and those two were cat chow for sure.
Ha… fuck me. What now?
I readjusted my grip on the black iron spear with shaking hands.
No choice but to fight. Abandon them? Never.
Focus! You've practiced plenty!
Cheok and Suh. My only plays—Dragon Words magic to repel and attract.
"ROOOOAR!!"
The Ice Panther gaped its massive jaws and pounced.
"Fuck!! Not ready yet!"
I rolled spear-in-hand, barely dodging. Without Cheok on my soles repelling the ground for extra speed, I'd be paste.
BOOM—! The spot I'd stood cratered deep, a huge ice pillar erupting.
Gulp— a direct hit…? Chills spiderwebbed my spine.
But even then, I fretted over those two.
Fight here, and the fallout hits them too. Gotta relocate!
I snatched a rock, infused it with Cheok mana, and chucked it at its brow.
Thwack—!Nice!!
"Grrrng?!"
Bonked on the noggin, it blinked in confusion—then its eyes blazed crimson fury. Some puny bug dared taunt it? Ego bruised bad.
"Hey! You silver mackerel furball! Over here! Come get me!!"
Middle finger salute, then Cheok-blasted my soles and bolted to draw it off.
"ROOOOOAR!!"
Snowstorm raging, it pursued at insane speed.
"Pant… pant… this far enough?"
At least 500 meters from the clearing where Seo Ayoung and Taesoo hyung lay. Deep woods. I halted, heaving.
Glanced back: Ice Panther barreling through trees, fangs bared, snarling.
Regripped the black iron spear.
Rock hit true! Means my hits connect!
That initial terror? Real. Biggest, nastiest monster I'd ever seen.
But fleeing Dragon Word-boosted through the woods, one crucial fact dawned:
And it's an A-rank boss… but not that fast?
Not slow—my Dragon Heart finally revved in do-or-die mode, turbocharging my moves.
Translation: winnable.
"ROOOOOAR!!"
Last-ditch charge, cold aura flaring, rocketing like a cannonball. Forepaw to pulverize my skull.
Deep breath. Maxed Dragon Heart mana from dantian and heart.
Suh here!
Suh activated—mana surged into the black iron spear.
Vrrrrm—!!
The dark blade glowed cherry-red from my mana overload, humming viciously.
The Ice Panther flinched, backing off.
I smirked.
"You know that'd end you too, don't ya!?"
Cunning bastard. No berserk rushes—stalking chances like a pro hunter.
Standoff. It circled, probing.
Can't drag forever.
It's waiting for me to tire or slip.
Then—lightning idea.
It'll work!
Cheok-infused the spear and hurled.
"Die!!"
Whoooosh—! Fiercest, fastest throw yet.
Dodged, as expected.
Then it lunged.
I grinned wide.
"Gotcha, bitch!! Suh!"
Recalled the spear mid-flight.
But it sniffed that too—twisted midair to evade the boomerang.
"Think that's it?!!"
Predicted. One more in the tank.
Redirected the incoming spear—straight at the airborne beast.
Guided missile spear throw.
"Cheok!!"
SMASHHHHH—!!! BOOM—!!
Massive explosion blinded me, ears ringing shrill.
Spear-tip Dragon mana detonated huge.
"SKREEEEE—!!"
No time for death cry. On skull contact, A-rank bone and cold shield shredded like plywood.
Shhhh—
Where destruction passed: a multi-meter crater gouged long into the forest floor.
"……I… I did it!! I freaking did it!!"