The Sparkling Beast
The sharp chime rang in my ears.
You have discovered a Lv. 4 Treasure Monster.
White Beast Ape Lv.4
A giant monkey infused with the abilities of countless beasts. It fiercely despises anything that intrudes on its territory and has an extreme fondness for anything that sparkles. Its raw strength is so overwhelming it can rip a stone centipede apart with its bare hands.
— Successful hunt rewards: jewels or bracelets.
A bipedal monster covered in shaggy black fur. At first glance its appearance was too grotesque to call it a monkey, yet the description made it seem like one anyway.
It feels like the Hulk. The massive muscles hidden beneath its bulk and fur really did resemble the green monster from some comic book company. The worrying part was whether its abilities were uncomfortably similar to the one I was thinking of. If it was anywhere near the level I’d seen in the movies… No. I shouldn’t entertain such terrible thoughts. The fact that it wasn’t attacking recklessly might mean it was weaker than I feared.
Still, I need to gather treasures.
Even though I had no real sense of what the number Lv. 4 implied, I had to fight it. The only information I possessed was that the creature could turn a human arm into shredded meat as easily as tearing apart a chicken drumstick, and that it had followed me here after witnessing my Moonlight Sword Art.
“Geumrin, what I’m about to attempt is an unproven strategy. If any stray attacks come flying, dodge them on your own. Understood?”
“…Pardon? What do you—”
Then again, the solution might be closer than I realized.
I unfolded the forms of the Moonlight Sword Art as slowly and deliberately as possible. The magical energy began to disperse gently. Thin streams of light scattered around the blade, and the creature’s eyes—the only part not covered in fur—seemed to sparkle with fascination.
Kwooo…
First Form, New Moon. Second Form, Ecstasy.
Out of all the forms I had experienced in the martial world, these two were the most brilliant and eye-catching. Of course I could have infused the sword with power and performed something closer to the Haenam style, but that carried an obvious “this is going to hurt if it hits” pressure that made it unsuitable for the current situation.
It’s surprisingly intelligent.
The trait of loving shiny objects proved the beast possessed a fair degree of intellect. Ordinary animals lived by hunger and survival instinct; it was rare for them to appreciate art or collect items for the sake of luxury. That was why the sword dance couldn’t last too long. I had to strike while it still failed to realize the Moonlight Sword Art was a lethal weapon capable of severing its neck.
But at that moment—
Kwoooowak! Uh! Uh! Uh!
Something completely unexpected happened. The instant I prepared to leap forward, the monster began thumping its chest with its fists while letting out excited cries. It wasn’t a threatening roar that pounded the ears; it sounded like the cheerful noise someone might make when they were in a good mood.
The White Beast Ape Lv.4 has seen your sparkling sword and become delighted.
The creature began shrugging its shoulders as if dancing. It looked exactly like a department head at an office dinner party enjoying the drinking and entertainment. The next notification was enough to leave me stunned.
The White Beast Ape sets down its treasure and leaves.
The White Beast Ape placed an unknown treasure onto the dirt floor, then turned and waddled back the way it had come, wiggling its rear end. It had happened so abruptly. Even more sudden was the way Geumrin’s eyes changed after witnessing the absurd scene right beside me.
“How did you know?”
“…Know what?”
“You called it an unproven strategy, yet you executed it perfectly!”
He was staring at me as if I were some legendary sage or prophet.
“Just like how you knew there were seven enemies earlier, and now this monkey too!”
“…”
“And that thing—was it magic? Light kept pouring out of your sword. Was that sword energy?”
His voice was trembling slightly; it seemed the previous scene had left a deep impression. I had simply planned to land a heavy blow while the monkey was distracted, yet somehow I had accidentally become a benevolent saint who valued life. A perfect misunderstanding. This really was like a cow stepping backward and catching a rat by accident.
Well, there’s no need to correct him.
There might come a day when this boy became my enemy. The deeper his misconceptions about me grew, and the better my public image became, the more disadvantageous it would be for my opponents, not me.
You have acquired a treasure.
◈ Increases wearer’s strength
◈ Effect: Strength Lv. 1 increase
◈ Note: Effect activates only in ‘3rd Floor – Competition’
The black leather bracelet was rather crude to be called a treasure, yet the moment I put it on, my stats rose. The only downside was that its effect was limited to the third floor, but even so it was better than nothing.
Strength has increased.
I slipped the bracelet onto my wrist and examined the other treasure the White Beast Ape had left behind—a black stone.
◈ A stone engraved with a White Beast Ape.
◈ Effect: ■■■
The description called it a stone, but it was closer to a black gem. The round orb, resembling a black pearl, had a tiny White Beast Ape engraved on its surface.
“Whoa, so this is the treasure?”
“Looks like it. The bracelet seems to count as one too.”
When I checked the system window for the mission, the treasure count had risen from [0/5] to [2/5]. Three more remained. Still, the core of this individual match was to gather ‘five or more’ treasures and aim for ‘better rewards.’ I couldn’t stop here. Whether it was for the upcoming competitions or to build a foundation for climbing the tower, collecting as many treasures as possible during this individual match seemed like the best move I could make on the third floor.
To achieve that—
“No more sneaking around from now on.”
“Huh?”
I would handle the hunting; he would draw the aggro. From here on, it made sense to advance while taking down every manageable monster we encountered.
Seo Seyeong had loved snow ever since she was a child. On days when pure white flakes fell in gentle waves, she would run outside to build snowmen and have snowball fights with her friends. After spending the whole day like that and then gazing at the sky from the apartment rooftop, she would sometimes fall into the pleasant illusion of flying and lose herself in sentiment. To her, snow symbolized freedom—the kind that swept away the suffocating pressure of exam preparation.
But there was one exception. On days when a heavy snow warning was issued, even Seo Seyeong, who loved snow so much, would stay indoors with the boiler running and sip cocoa.
“Unnie! I feel like I’m going to freeze to death!”
“Me…! Me too…!”
In other words, Seo Seyeong—who had grown up like a delicate flower in a greenhouse—had never experienced climbing a snowy mountain in the middle of a blizzard like this.
The two women who had met by chance on that frozen mountain now stood with their backs to the bone-chilling wind, wandering the slopes in search of somewhere to warm their bodies.
“Are we even going the right way?!”
“Probably…!”
At Han Gamin’s question, Seo Seyeong gave a firm nod. She had spotted a cave from the mountainside earlier; it should be somewhere nearby. They had no idea what might be inside, but anything was better than facing this razor-sharp wind head-on.
I need to move in the direction the wind is blowing.
Wind traveled from high pressure to low pressure. When snow fell and the ground froze, the air sank and atmospheric pressure rose. In hot desert regions the ground heated up, causing air to rise and create low pressure. If the land designated for this individual match wasn’t hundreds of kilometers wide, it meant they could walk far enough to reach a warmer area.
It’s still just a guess, but…
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The mission was to find treasures; they couldn’t simply freeze to death and call the competition over. Besides, there might be hidden treasures inside a cave like that.
Whiiiing…
As they drew closer to the rocky mountain containing the cave, the wind seemed to weaken, perhaps because the surrounding terrain blocked it. With the entrance now visible, Seo Seyeong and Han Gamin quickened their pace. The moment they reached it, they felt the change.
“Unnie, I think someone’s already inside…?”
“Looks like it.”
There was a prior visitor. The moment they stepped into the cave entrance, a gentle warmth greeted them. A faint light seemed to leak from the passage leading deeper inside. The warm energy was so welcoming that the fierce blizzard almost felt like a distant memory, and they could almost believe their frozen bodies were beginning to thaw.
Now came the choice. Should they enter the cave and face whoever had lit the fire, or stay near the entrance until their bodies warmed a little before venturing back into that frozen hell? Of course the option to leave immediately and continue searching for treasures existed, but at least for the moment, neither woman was considering it.
“…Shall we go in?”
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”
The cave entrance only felt warm in comparison to the outside; it was hardly a cozy space. Still, they stepped inside. Naturally, they didn’t forget to ready their weapons in case of danger.
Step. Step.
But that caution lasted only a moment. The instant they rounded the corner that had been hiding the interior, the two women discovered a single person squatting in a corner of the cave’s wide chamber, resting.
“…”
The figure sat with arms crossed, eyes closed, leaning against the wall. They had never even exchanged greetings, yet the appearance was familiar.
“Unnie, that’s the fishman from the lobby back then…”
“Shh.”
At Han Gamin’s quiet whisper, Seo Seyeong nodded. It was the fishman named Cheongrin—the one who had seemed like the leader of the merfolk. Among the powerful individuals on the third floor that Kim Siin had mentioned, they had just run into the one they most wanted to avoid.