Canyon of Wolves (2)

"We're chasing that bastard from earlier, right?"

"Yes."

I was referring to the werewolf that had howled toward the full moon the moment we entered the gate. It was almost certainly the strongest monster on this mountain, so tracking it down was our top priority.

"Besides, there might be something waiting for us on that cliff where the moon was framed."

It had been the very spot the gate's entrance sequence practically forced us to look at. If something was hidden in this place, that cliff seemed like the most probable location.

Minjae nodded as if everything had suddenly clicked into place.

"Oh, right! That makes sense. Classic Hyung."

"...What does?"

"You've unearthed so many hidden pieces by now that you get a sixth sense just by looking at a landscape. What are you, a certified hidden piece expert?"

"It's just a hunch."

"Your hunches are usually spot-on, though."

Look at this fanatic. Ever since the subject of magic manuals had come up, he had been treating me like an oracle, and after I handed one over to him recently, his hero worship had reached a whole new level.

"Minjae, even I can't dig up a hidden piece in every single gate."

It was the simple truth. Even with my spatial awareness, there were plenty of gates where I came away empty-handed; it was just that the gates where I did find something happened to outnumber the ones where I didn't. The idea that every gate concealed a hidden piece was nothing more than an unproven hunter rumor, and I was convinced plenty of them had nothing to offer at all.

"I still bet you'll find one," Minjae insisted with blind, unshakable faith.

"..."

I glanced around for someone to back me up, but Uncle was completely absorbed in inspecting the haft of his spear. When my eyes met Lee Shinhee's—the sole voice of reason remaining in our party—a faint, knowing smile touched her lips.

"That sounds like a case of 'hidden piece addiction' severe enough to require clinical therapy."

"See? You think so too, don't you, Shinhee-ssi?"

"Hmph. That's absurd," Minjae grumbled. "Hyung is the one who got me hooked on them in the first place!"

I decided to tune out Minjae's protests. At least there was one normal person left on the roster. Uncle and Minjae loved to drag me down to their level, but I wasn't having it. Once Kim Hancheol joined our expeditions, things would surely settle down...

"Aaaaargh!"

The sudden memory of Kim Hancheol screaming at the top of his lungs flashed through my mind.

Well, whatever. Things would work out one way or another.

We didn't bother spraying scent blockers as we hiked up the slope. The situation was fundamentally different from the old days. We weren't here to tiptoe around monsters; we were here to draw them out.

—Awoooo!

It didn't take long for our first encounter. A chorus of wolf howls echoed through the nearby brush, distinct from the deep, chest-rattling roar we had heard at the entrance.

"They're coming."

The rustling of trampled undergrowth grew louder in the distance.

"Eleven o'clock!"

At my call, Uncle pivoted his spear toward the eleven o'clock direction. He was on foot rather than mounted on Yongyong, specifically to drill his personal spearmanship. While his newly acquired spear manual included mounted forms, it also contained footwork and strikes designed for ground combat, and he seemed eager to put them to the test after relying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠almost exclusively on Flying Dragon Flash for so long.

"Wait."

At forty meters, my spatial awareness registered the incoming targets, making me pause.

"What's up?"

"They aren't werewolves. Just regular wolves."

"Wolves?"

"They look a bit larger than ordinary wolves, but still... feels like a waste, doesn't it?"

We had no way of knowing the total monster count in this hunting-type gate. We had entered specifically for rigorous combat conditioning, so engaging beefed-up wolves was far less productive than clashing with proper werewolves. If the gate strictly spawned fifty monsters and nothing more, we would have no choice, but if there were spares, it was far better to be selective about our prey.

"Fair point. What do we do?"

"Here they come!"

Minjae, spotting them with his bare eyes, raised his staff and yelled. Darting through the trees at eleven o'clock were four massive wolves, their fangs bared and eyes gleaming hungrily.

"Yongyong!" Uncle called out, resting a hand on the dragon's scaled flank. "Chase 'em off!"

Yongyong puffed up his chest and unleashed a booming roar.

—KRAAAAH!

The shockwave of the dragon's roar slammed into the charging pack. The four wolves skidded to a halt in sheer terror, their fur standing on end as they scattered left and right, visibly trembling.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Oh?"

Even Uncle looked pleasantly surprised that it had actually worked.

"One more time! Drive them out!"

—KRAAAAH!

When Yongyong let out a second thunderous bellow, the wolves let out high-pitched whimpers, tucked their tails between their legs, and bolted down the mountainside. It was a spitting image of the gnolls that had fled in panic back during our early dungeon days.

It made sense. Even though this was a Level 31 to 35 gate, the main attraction was the werewolves. These quadrupeds were nothing more than trash mobs.

"Damn, that really did the trick, huh?"

"He scared off a pack of gnolls in the past the exact same way," I said.

"Hasn't happened since, though. Hye-ya, toss me some meat. Gotta reward the kid."

Beaming with satisfaction, Uncle vigorously stroked Yongyong's head. Yongyong wolfed down the cut of prime beef from my storage, puffing a pleased plume of hot air through his nostrils.

"Kr-r-ru!"

"That's my boy. Who's a good dragon?"

Lee Shinhee, watching from the rear, tilted her head with a furrowed brow.

"Wait... if this gate clears after fifty kills, won't we have to hunt down those runaway wolves across the entire mountain later?"

"...Huh? Is that how it works?"

Uncle's grin instantly stiffened. Tracking down scattered, terrified wolves across rugged mountain terrain sounded like a miserable chore.

"Well, Uncle can chase them down," I teased.

"R-Right! I'll just hop on Yongyong and run them down from above."

"I'm kidding. We can take our time, clearing the mountain at our own pace while keeping an eye out for hidden pieces."

"True, there's no strict time limit pressing us," Shinhee agreed with a nod.

Right on cue, another howl tore through the mountain air.

—AWOOOOO!

It was far deeper and more resonant than the previous calls.

"That one... sounds like a werewolf, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It probably came running toward Yongyong's roar."

Hearing a predator's bellow that sent lesser wolves fleeing had likely piqued the curiosity—or aggression—of a nearby werewolf pack.

"Everyone, get ready. If it's an awakened variant, Uncle and I will take point. If they're unawakened, let's leave one alive for Shinhee-ssi to duel."

None of us felt even a sliver of tension. Werewolf gates were notoriously despised by average hunters due to the monsters' ferocious agility and regeneration, but against a strike team of our caliber, this was practically an afternoon stroll.

"Phew! That's plenty of exercise for me!"

The skirmish unfolded exactly as expected.

The pack consisted of seven unawakened werewolves. They charged without hesitation, but Minjae's opening salvo of spells blasted two off their feet before they could even close the distance. Uncle and I split the remaining five, with him taking two and me handling three. Given my higher stats and refined swordsmanship, keeping three occupied was child's play. I had just traded blows with the Fire Knight; unawakened werewolves posed virtually zero threat.

"K-Kyeh!"

Melding the aggressive footwork of Fighting Rooster with the rapid, pinpoint thrusts of Cresea Swordsmanship, I dropped two of them in clean, decisive strokes. Then I transitioned to a fluid defensive stance, drawing out the fight to buy Uncle enough time to practice his spear routines. Uncle dispatched his first target with an explosive Flying Dragon Flash, then engaged the second solely with foundational spear techniques until he ran it through.

Now, it was Lee Shinhee's turn.

I glanced back over my shoulder. "Shinhee-ssi, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Uncle, Minjae, keep watch in case reinforcements show up."

"On it."

"Understood!"

Leaving her entirely alone against a werewolf was too reckless, so I positioned myself to oversee ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the engagement up close. With a smooth redirection of my blade, I funneled the remaining beast toward Lee Shinhee, who stood waiting with a sword and shield.

—Grrr-awoo!

Frustrated at having its prey swapped out, the werewolf snapped its jaws and snarled, lunging straight for her. I watched with heightened focus. Even if this was practical combat training, under no circumstances could our team's A-rank healer sustain a serious injury.

"Kh!"

Shinhee staggered backward under the werewolf's ferocious onslaught. It was an inevitable outcome. Despite being a Level 35 A-rank Healer, she was fundamentally not a frontline combatant. Her prior experience had been limited to raising a shield defensively and swinging a mace when cornered. While we had sparred together, gaining the upper hand against a werewolf in an on-level gate was a tall order.

"Need a hand?"

"Just... a little longer...!"

Shinhee gritted her teeth, straining against the impact. The beast's furious clawing left her no breath for full sentences, but her intent was unmistakable. She wanted to push through.

I held back. Unlike ordinary vanguards, I had the luxury of waiting; if things went sideways, I could close the distance instantaneously using Leap.

The critical moment arrived barely a few seconds later.

"Ugh!"

Shinhee barely deflected a brutal swipe, but the force shattered her balance, sending her stumbling backward onto uneven footing. Seizing the opening, the werewolf raised its hooked claws to rip into her exposed torso.

Fwip—

I activated Leap, materializing in the space between them and batting the monster's claws aside with the flat of my blade.

"Can you keep going? Or should I finish it?"

"One more time, please."

"How about I handicap it a little first?"

"That would be wonderful."

Channeling the rapid thrusts of Cresea Swordsmanship, I flicked my silver blade across the beast's thighs and forearms. Because silver directly suppressed a lycanthrope's rapid cellular regeneration, these precise lacerations would significantly impede its mobility without killing it outright. A fair handicap.

Shinhee reset her stance and re-engaged. With the werewolf hobbled, she fared noticeably better than before. Rather than turtling behind her shield in sheer panic, she began weaving shield bashes with short, measured sword thrusts, putting the fundamentals of sword-and-shield combat into practice.

"That's... my limit!"

In the end, she couldn't secure the kill alone. At her cry, I stepped forward and cleanly severed the werewolf's throat.

"Whew."

"How did it feel?"

"Live combat is on a completely different level. I thought sparring with you was intense, but this..."

"Monsters fight with genuine killing intent, and werewolves are especially vicious. Even so, you did great."

"No, I could barely hold my ground."

Shinhee shook her head self-deprecatingly, but Uncle chimed in with a hearty chuckle.

"Come on now, that was plenty impressive!"

"He's right," I added. "Holding off a werewolf with Level 1 Sword and Shield Mastery is remarkable. Besides, slaying the beast yourself was never the objective, was it?"

"Ah... true."

Shinhee conceded with a faint nod. Her entire reason for picking up the sword and shield was self-defense—to survive and hold the line if a monster breached the vanguard during a crisis. By that standard, surviving against a bloodthirsty werewolf was an undeniable success.

"If you can hold out against a werewolf, you'll be able to handle almost anything that slips through the front line."

"Thank you. I wouldn't have dared to try it without you backing me up."

"Don't mention it."

I reached into my subspace, pulling out fresh water bottles and light rations to distribute to the group.

"Shinhee-ssi looks worn out. Let's take five before moving on."

After catching our breath, we resumed our trek up the mountain. Yongyong chased off the lesser wolves while we steadily culled the werewolves that crossed our path.

As we climbed higher, awakened werewolves began to appear. Uncle and I dispatched them without much trouble. Once Shinhee caught her second wind, she engaged in another controlled duel against an unawakened werewolf that I had pre-injured.

"My skill leveled up!"

"Oh, already?"

During that skirmish, her Sword and Shield Mastery had reached Level 2. For a dedicated healer, that was exceptionally rapid progress. Even Shinhee, who rarely let her composure slip, beamed with genuine delight.

Just as we wiped our blades clean to move out again, Uncle squinted into the air, checking the gate's kill tally.

"Twenty-nine left. We'd better keep a strict count."

"Yeah, we have to stay sharp."

This was a hunting-type gate that closed automatically once fifty monsters were slain. We needed to keep our kills strictly accounted for. Finding the hidden piece was important, but tracking down the gate's boss monster took precedence. In hunting gates, carelessly filling the kill quota could prematurely trigger the exit portal, causing hunters to miss out on the boss and its lucrative drops entirely. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Locating the colossal werewolf we had seen at the start was vital.

"For the record, there are definitely more than fifty monsters on this mountain," Chunbae's voice chimed in from my subspace. He had been meticulously tallying every regular wolf Yongyong had scared off earlier. When factoring in the werewolves and the boss, the total monster population easily exceeded the quota.

"Since those ordinary wolves count toward the quota too... this gate essentially allows for selective difficulty adjustment, doesn't it?" Uncle remarked.

"Exactly."

Clearing out the helpless four-legged wolves would allow an expedition to exit quickly with minimal danger, but skipping them to hunt down the werewolves ramped up the difficulty—and the rewards. Gates with this kind of structure were widely recognized as offering dynamic, opt-in difficulty.

"In that case, there's definitely got to be something tucked away up here..."

"We'll find it. We have plenty of time."

"Right. We can stick to hunting only the awakened variants from here on out. They make for great spear targets anyway."

Just as Uncle nodded with satisfaction, an ominous crimson prompt flared across our vision.