[Field Boss: Snow Drake's Domain Activates.]
Right after grabbing Haemu, a stark message appeared on the fortress's massive gate.
"Everyone, gather up for a sec."
Kang Hanbit called the raid members over to the front of the gate. The other players kept their distance, murmuring as they watched.
"This is Haemu, our last-minute addition."
Hanbit introduced the white-haired man standing beside him to the raid. As a face anyone in the vanguard would recognize, no lengthy explanation was needed.
"You guys look pretty sour. Odin, did I do something wrong?"
Haemu asked, flapping the fan in his hand.
Odin nodded and replied, "Trust issues, maybe?"
"Trust? Why me? Who else is as reliable as I am?"
"You always do whatever you want, sir. It's a natural reaction."
"You've gotten a bit cheeky. Picking up bad habits from that guy, huh?"
-lmao
-Extreme praise.
-Facts hit harder than Odin.
-Haemu showing up here is fucking wild lol.
-Still no clue how Black Dragon found him.
-Fr, thought it was a skill or something.
Odin calmly pointed out the reason, while Haemu chuckled. They seemed like old acquaintances.
"You two know each other?"
"He was an acquaintance of my master."
"Your master?"
"I once got in over my head in an area beyond my level and ran into trouble. He helped me out back then, and I ended up learning from him, which naturally turned us into master and disciple."
Odin briefly shared his story with the person he called his master. You could feel the genuine respect in his words.
Master and disciple, huh...
The mentor-disciple relationship held deep meaning for Hanbit in all sorts of ways. He'd experienced every emotion from joy and happiness to rage and despair because of it.
Hanbit shook off the old memories flooding his mind and said, "Anyway, the raid lineup's complete now. I'll pass along Haemu's instructions just like everyone else's. You'll at least hear them out, right?"
"...Are you seriously asking me that?"
When Hanbit used informal speech to check, Haemu shot back in disbelief.
"It's my policy to match banmal with banmal. Oh, if you're way older, I'll switch to jondaemal."
"Damn, you've got some balls. Kids these days are scary."
-lmao
-Turning it into an age jab;
-Agreement: Yeah, he's ancient.
-Denial: Banmal allowed.
-Fr, total savage lol.
-Haemu at 38, biggest crisis of his life.
-This is Gen MZ.
According to intel, Haemu was 38. Not exactly old enough for a 27-year-old like Hanbit to use formal speech on him.
Meeting his gaze, Haemu pointed his fan and said, "Suddenly, I really wanna hear some respect from you."
"We could both use formal speech?"
"Nah, that feels off."
Haemu shook his head, flapping his fan. Strangely, it didn't come off as authoritarian.
Hanbit decided to make use of the situation.
"I do show respect to people who deserve it... but you? Kinda tough."
"Odin's still got some manners left. This kid's the real deal."
-lmao
-"The real deal"
-Black Dragon doesn't hold back.
Haemu let out a hollow laugh at the probing question. He stepped closer and asked, "I said I'd play along with your rhythm, but disappearing from here is still up to me. Lose someone like me, and you won't catch that dragon inside."
"It's fine. I've got a strategy without you too."
"What?"
"Rumors were flying, so I had to prepare. You didn't show until the briefing was over anyway."
"......"
Haemu was speechless at the irrefutable point. Even if he bailed now, it was within expectations. In the isekai world, Hanbit always prepped for the worst.
"Of course, with you, it'll be way more fun. I plan to use Player Haemu's skills in a whole new way."
"Intriguing, but repurposing my skills? Better to leave it to me."
"Don't trust me? Take a look."
Hanbit handed Haemu the final parchment with his notes. Folding his fan, Haemu scanned it immediately.
"...Ha."
He let out another hollow laugh after skimming the lines. Looking at Hanbit, he said, "You're a real lunatic, aren't you?"
Mist skills were typically for disruption, ambushes, assassinations, protection, or blocking. But Black Dragon's plan was entirely different.
Combinations of mists with unique properties, building up to a massive explosion that would engulf the entire fortress.
"Not impossible, right?"
"If it goes exactly like you say, sure. But one slip, and it's total disaster. You ready for that?"
"Getting cold feet? I figured you could pull it off. If not, I'll tweak it."
"What?"
Haemu narrowed his eyes at the straightforward bait—no circling around.
Meeting Hanbit's gaze, he rubbed his forehead and said, "...I don't fall for cheap provocations, but fine, I'll bite this time. If it works, you use formal speech and call me 'hyungnim' from now on."
"Deal. Prove your skills, and I'll show respect."
No items or gold—just an emotional wager. It made sense for Haemu, who'd come all this way out of interest in Black Dragon. Even if it wasn't what he'd expected.
"That wraps the briefing. Haemu's on Team 1, so check your marked instructions. And eat the food I'm handing out right as we enter."
Hanbit distributed Blazing Honey Porridge to all raid members. A buff food several tiers above the lava seed soup from the cooking contest. It massively boosted ice resistance and ramped up physical activity through its heat.
"Everyone ready? Let's head in..."
"Hold up!"
Someone stopped Hanbit just as he lifted his foot. Turning, he spotted a familiar redhead.
"Blood?"
-Huh?
-Blood hi
-She's pissed again today;
-Didn't she apply for raid?
-Mars is in, so maybe she got cut....
The viewers recognized her instantly too. Blood strode right up to Hanbit's face.
"Hey, why'd I get cut? That time, I died 'cause I didn't know how to use Heart properly!"
She locked eyes with him, glaring fiercely. Hanbit got the gist, but he wasn't the one who'd rejected her.
"I was the one who cut you."
Luna stepped up from nearby.
Hearing that, Blood got even angrier.
"Whoever it was, why cut me? You think I'm weaker than these mid-tier scrubs?"
"Weaker than me, though?"
Haemu chimed in, tilting his fan slyly. Blood continued like she was eyeing a disgusting bug.
"You're the exception, so fuck off. Anyway, explain yourself."
"You're showing everyone right now. Can't you see how they're reacting?"
"What?"
Blood glanced around at Luna's words. The raid members watched uncomfortably. Calling mid-to-high vanguards "scrubs" would piss anyone off.
Mars, who'd partied with her before, just kept his eyes closed quietly.
"Fuck... All you need for a subjugation is skill. What else matters?"
"You gotta use that skill right to help. You'd just rampage on your own anyway."
Hanbit recalled the previous Snow Drake fight. She had talent, but instinct always came first. That was Blood.
"I know my power best."
"Doubt it. Seemed like you didn't."
"...What? What bullshit is that?"
She scowled, but Hanbit—who knew Blood's potential well—saw plenty of room for improvement in her usage.
It's a sharp blade, though.
After a moment's thought, Hanbit decided.
"Want in? Fine. But move before I say, and you're out."
"You're kidding? Who puts up with that?"
"Don't like it? Don't join. No one's forcing you."
"......"
-lmao
-Putting a leash on Blood?
-10k says she can't hold back.
-10k says she does.
-She'll endure if she doesn't wanna get kicked lol.
-Nah, old habits die hard.
At the simple condition, Blood clenched and unclenched her fists, deliberating. But with her desire to prove herself, she had no real choice.
"...Fine. If you keep me from moving till the end, then we both die."
"I'll give you a few chances. Oh, and if you're holding grudges from before, sit this out. Ambush won't work."
"What?"
Blood had frozen solid failing to counter Snow Drake's AoE. Even if it was an info gap, she couldn't feel warmly toward Black Dragon after getting schemed on.
But she reacted with genuine surprise.
"Why the hell would I pull that shit? I'm not some sore loser."
Seemed she wasn't holding a grudge after all. Just salty about getting cut from the raid.
With that settled, Hanbit approached the fortress gate and placed his hand on it.
[First entry permission confirmed for Player Black Dragon.]
[Form raid party? (Yes/No)]
The message was straightforward. Hanbit tapped Yes and quickly finalized the raid setup.
***
"Whoa, so this is the fortress?"
"Map's insanely huge."
"Better than any video."
The raid marveled at the fortress's overwhelming scale upon entry. Towering ice cliffs encircled the outskirts, with pure white snow drifting everywhere. The blue ice blanketing everything was purely beautiful.
They'd seen it in Black Dragon's videos, but being there in person was different.
[Field Effect: Enhanced Freeze Debuff applied.]
[Attack speed and movement speed reduced by 50%.]
[Ice resistance reduced by 100.]
The same debuff as their first entry. The food's effects kicked in right away too.
[Effect: Blazing Flesh Buff applied.]
[Ice resistance massively increased.]
[Blazing Honey's heat greatly mitigates freeze debuff effects.]
"Debuff's gone?"
"That food's straight-up broken. And it tasted good."
"Can't we use this for other clears?"
The vanguards were blown away by the Blazing Honey Porridge. Setting aside the 10 million gold material cost, no one else even knew the recipe. It existed only in Hanbit's head.
Good thing it worked in-game.
High freedom, but limits existed. The magic tome Isis had modified. Hanbit had tried recreating his custom spells with it, but the finished tome did nothing. Only RP's creators would know why.
Kruk-!
Then, a pack of pure white monsters appeared atop the frontal ice structure.
"White Wyverns."
Luna drew her sword upon recognizing them.
[Elite: Guardian White Wyvern (Lv.138)]
Same level as before. Five of them, but Hanbit's squad had hungry vanguards ready. They should handle it easily...
Whoosh—
Suddenly, faint mist scattered, and someone stepped forward. Haemu, fan in hand.
"Why's everyone gearing up to charge?"
He stopped a few steps ahead and extended his fan hand toward the wyverns.
Shhh—
The barely visible mist had already reached them. And at that moment—
Slash-!
Haemu lightly swept his fan left to right.
Slice-!
The White Wyverns froze mid-motion. Blood sprayed from their long necks right after.
Splatter-!
Red stained the white landscape as the pack toppled.
Thud-!
They crashed below the structure. After twitching briefly, the wyverns breathed their last—never once spreading their wings.
Poof—
Their darkening corpses crumbled to dust. Three pristine white orbs lay there: White Wyvern hearts.
-Whoa;
-Kills 'em on the spot lol.
-Rank 601 prestige.
-Easy, too easy.
The viewers cheered at the simple yet brutal display.
Hanbit walked over to the orbs and murmured softly, "Sylph, mind grabbing these?"
[Sure!]
Whoosh—
A wind reply echoed in his head, lifting the orbs gently. Nothing like using cooking gloves before.
"So? Feel like showing some respect now?"
Haemu sidled up teasingly. Impressive, sure—but too soon.
"After we bag that thing."
Hanbit pointed to the fortress center.
Rumble—
Something shattered as a massive form slowly rose. The fortress lord, Snow Drake.
[Field Boss: Snow Drake (Lv.500)]
Unchanged level from before. The raid tensed up instantly.
Kruk-
Snow Drake fully rose, exhaling white frost breath. Meeting its gleaming blue eyes, Hanbit leveled his sword and declared, "Subjugation starts now."