Muscle Loss and "Die to Live"
"......!"
Jinhyuk tried to scream, but only a ragged, bellows-like rasp escaped his throat.
His entire body felt like it had been dunked in molten iron—scorching hot—while his insides yawned empty as a frozen cavern.
His vision flickered yellow from severe anemia, and an unidentified ringing pierced his ears like a sharpened awl.
Beep—
The high-pitched whine shredded his mind.
The moment consciousness returned, a bizarre pain gripped him, squeezing from the inside out.
This wasn't mere muscle cramps or broken bones.
It felt like someone had yanked out his muscle fibers one by one, twisted them back together, and wrenched every joint into a forced lock.
Jinhyuk groped his trembling body.
The decent layer of flesh from three days ago was gone without a trace.
Veins bulged grotesquely on the back of his hands, wrist bones protruded sharply—like a refugee starved for years. Skin and bones only.
His frame was a walking skeleton.
Whoa, muscle loss hit so hard it's straight-up skin and bones... For real?
Then, inorganic system messages flickered across his retina.
The complex strokes of the hanja scattered like alien glyphs in his hazy mind.
No verbose explanations, no concern for his condition—just mechanical execution results.
> Consciousness Recovered
> Forced Sleep Mode Terminated (72 Hours Elapsed)
> Settlement: Blue Ice Wolf Yokai and Beast Pack
> Discrepancy Adjustment (Survival Rate Mismatch)
> Engraving Rank Up: Skilled Archery (D-)
> Current Survival Rate: 12.5%
Jinhyuk gasped raggedly, staring at his palm.
Huff, huff.
The system had burned his flesh, muscles, even bone density as fuel to force "Skilled Archery" into existence, patching the experience deficit.
He lacked the strength to utter a word.
Memory fragments surged back with the pain, like a rising tide.
Ghost Cry Gorge, a remote spot beyond the Great Wall.
This should have been Black Forest territory ahead of the Outpost, home to beasts and yokai—where only the Blue Ice Wolf yokai should've prowled alone or with a small wolf pack.
But the yokai Blue Ice Wolf had appeared leading a massive horde: Snow Wolf, White Wolf, Blue Wolf, and more. A blatant anomaly.
The squad's eyes filled with instinctive terror at the surprise assault.
Yet not one broke formation to flee.
For months, while other factions slacked, Jinhyuk had rolled in the dirt with them, drilling those words into their brains.
"He who seeks to live shall die, he who seeks to die shall live! Seek Life and Die, Seek Death and Live!"
Any modern Korean knew Admiral Yi Sun-sin's maxim. He'd chanted it like brainwashing throughout training.
To these slave soldiers of the Blue Wolf Corps, Beom Dal had explained its meaning.
Scatter, and they'd be beast fodder. Unite, and opportunity arose.
Jinhyuk had proven it personally.
Camouflage broken.
Jinhyuk's first fire arrow pierced the Blue Ice Wolf's left eye. It charged, spewing feral cold.
The incendiary arrow, laced with oil, cleaved the gorge's darkness, erupting in explosive firelight.
Boom! Flames burst across the yokai's face.
The intense light snagged gazes from beast hunters in the surrounding Black Forest.
"What the hell's that fire? Not just a torch. Blue Wolf Corps?"
Hwang-yeonggam's eyes narrowed.
Beside him, elite Survival Ghosts—Cheonun, Dogwi, Guian—gutted their kills with beastly senses.
Instinct told them it wasn't standard army work.
"Unsettling. Who in the Great Wall forces packs that much incendiary punch?"
Cheonun gripped his sword hilt.
They rocketed toward Ghost Cry Gorge.
Whoosh!
Shadows sliced the dark, footsteps silenced.
Meanwhile, the gorge was hell.
"Incoming! Don't scatter! Spears straight up! 1st Company, cover the flanks!"
Beom Dal's roar tore the gorge.
Rumble!
Massive wolf beasts poured from the cliffs above.
1st Company's assassins and pickpockets leaped nimbly to rock crevices, tree branches, treetops.
"Above! Throats of the droppers first!"
"Die, you fuckers! Gahk, urk!"
They hurled daggers and lassos at the cliff-spilling beasts.
Shwick! Thunk! Graaah!
Mid-chaos, a comrade's shoulder gashed deep by claws nearly plummeted, gurgling.
A pickpocket leaped, snagging his collar.
"Snap out of it, asshole! Not over! Die here, it's a dog's death!"
Huff, huff... "Thanks. Fuck, close call."
Hauling him up, they pressed backs together.
Clang! Clang! Daggers met claws, sparks flew.
Jinhyuk's mantra—"Your neighbor's life is your own"—shone now.
"Engineers! Shields up! Now!"
At Beom Dal's order, 3rd Company's engineers surged forward. Jinhyuk's pre-planned ace, drilled into Beom Dal.
He knew pits and traps alone couldn't stop a yokai charge, so he'd ordered engineers to craft "great shields" from sturdy deadwood and scattered logs.
"One, two, three! Lock! Raaah!"
"Hold! Even if bones shatter!"
Bang! Crunch! Crack!
Blue Ice Wolf's bulk slammed the log wall, shaking heaven and earth.
Splinters flew; shield-bearers' arms screamed. None dropped.
"Push! Shove it back! Brace from behind! One slip, we're done!"
2nd Company's mercenaries rammed shoulders into engineers' backs.
Ughhh!
A death-rattle shout erupted.
As it exhaled cold to freeze the shields, they gritted teeth, drawing on shared body heat.
"Grrraa! Hot water, splash it! It's freezing!"
"Where's hot water? Just hold!"
"Don't quit! Push together!"
Then, at the gorge mouth, a chill group crashed in.
"Blue Wolf Corps tangling with yokai. Old man, what now?"
"Help. If they crumble, our hunting grounds go to shit. Save that archer especially."
At Hwang-yeonggam's command, Guian and Dogwi darted like shadows.
Swish! Survival Ghosts' bone weapons arced across the gorge.
Pfshk! Their aid punched holes in the beast encirclement.
"What? Reinforcements?"
"Nah, Survival Ghosts! Why're those old monsters here?"
As squad gawked, Blue Ice Wolf rampaged wilder.
Boom!
Its forepaw smashed a shield.
Won't die? How many arrows has it eaten!
Jinhyuk fought leg-shaking terror, nocking another.
Creak.
String taut at limit.
He'd burned 10 shots already—Olympic draw, precise aim, body maxed.
Fingers numb, shoulder near-dislocated.
Twang.
Muscles tore, audible in his ears.
But shield-bearers bleeding before him, Survival Ghosts flanking— no retreat.
If I miss, they're all dead.
"Captain! Now! Mouth open! Fire!"
Beom Dal spat blood-flecked saliva, bellowing.
Squad squeezed final strength, gapping shields.
Blue Ice Wolf gaped to snap Jinhyuk—the 11th arrow flew into its open throat, piercing palate to brain.
Thwish! Thunk! Crunch!
The yokai convulsed, crashed.
Thud!
Earth quaked.
Snow and dust settling, squad panted, checking each other.
"We alive? We got the yokai?"
"Hey, wake up! Name? Eyes open!"
They hoisted wounded, bound gashes with rags, evacuated together.
Watching their tenacious life force, Jinhyuk blacked out.
Last sight: Beom Dal's twisted face rushing him.
"Coming around?"
Hwang-yeonggam's dry voice pierced the dark.
Jinhyuk's lips moved, but throat burned—only metal rasp.
No strength for writing, his usual channel.
"Don't strain. You're a half-corpse now."
Hwang-yeonggam trickled thick decoction: Blue Ice Wolf's inner core chunk, essence-blood meat, deep Black Forest herbs.
Gulp, glurk.
Fishy reek stabbed nostrils, but yokai essence soaked parched organs, screaming for nutrients.
"Three days, your body's warped freakishly. Joints twisted optimal for archery, muscles rewoven taut. Skeleton collapsed, rebuilt. Flesh fuel to ash. Without this, heart stopped long ago."
Hwang-yeonggam nodded outside the ragged tent, briefing low.
"Don't fret the lads. While you danced death's edge, those 300 kept breathing—no losses. Yokai down, zero dead? Unheard in Great Wall forces. Your weird drills worked. Wounded dragged each other out alive. We helped a bit, but they held."
Beyond canvas, murmurs and rough cheers swelled.
"Captain's reviving! Eyes open for real?"
"Beom Dal bro! Old man's nod—I saw! We're saved!"
"Yeah! Shut it, assholes! Captain rests—how many times? Polish weapons!"
Beom Dal's booming bark rang, laced thick with relief.
Scraaape!
Whetstone on blade, thunk-thunk! Wood shaved for shield repairs—endless.
Trust in their captain's survival hung air-thick around the tent. Jinhyuk exhaled at last.
"Urgent from Left Army. Beast stirrings near Outpost beyond outer walls—bad omens."
Hwang-yeonggam warned softly.
"Soon, half the slave soldiers there get marching orders. Can't empty watchtowers, beacons, bases fully. Your faction... likely tapped. Hid Blue Ice Wolf pelt, but Snow Wolf, White Wolf, Blue Wolf hides and meat drew eyes."
Meat shield duty: scout nomad hordes or beast swarms. Cold warning.
"Pray that freak body's worth it. Not all slaves mobilize, but factions indiscriminate—Blue Wolf Corps near-certain. Prep once mended."
Jinhyuk stared hollow-eyed at tent roof.
Hanja still alien, body wrecked—but now 300 brothers who'd crossed death with him, unexpected Survival Ghosts aid.
> Skilled Archery (D-) Engraving Settling
> Severe Malnutrition State
> Current Survival Rate Declining
Jinhyuk sank into deep sleep again.
Next awakening, cold winds beyond Great Wall would drag him to slaughter.
But not alone.
Outside, squad's harsh breaths and training shouts echoed.
"One! Two! Push! Harder!"
"Wounded back! Rotate!"
Those sounds lulled him final.
Hellish world, but no more dying pathetic alone.
He clenched bony fist, fading. Skilled Archery engraving rooted deep in bone and flesh.