The cold plateau. Snowflakes were falling onto the frozen white ground.
Through dense coniferous trees, the stronghold of the Yetis came into view.
They were stationed in buildings resembling makeshift huts, surrounded by crude wooden fences.
We immediately crouched behind the trees.
Just before launching our ambush, we made a final check of our gear.
Kayla conjured a fireball above her hand.
She gazed at the flames with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.
The fiery sphere flickered vigorously in the strong gusts of wind.
“It seems difficult to unleash our firepower as usual.”
“Indeed, the weather is posing a problem.”
From the sky, large snowflakes were falling intermittently, occasionally obstructing our view.
The piled-up snow on the ground slowed our movements.
For Kayla, whose specialty was fire magic, the snowy wilderness was a series of adverse conditions.
“I could force more output, but it would likely consume a lot of mana.”
Even so, an ordinary Yeti or Frost Giant shouldn’t pose much of a threat.
However, expecting as much assistance as before was unlikely.
It meant that the weight of my responsibility had increased accordingly.
“It’s okay. I’ll watch over you.”
Perhaps this was what I had hoped for.
There hadn’t been such a good opportunity to gain experience until now.
I surveyed the Yeti stronghold from afar.
Most of the structures were made from chopped wood.
“Kayla, can you set fire to those huts?”
“Yes, I can.”
There were roughly ten Yetis near the stronghold.
Fortunately, the elite Frost Giants were nowhere in sight.
“Be careful. The wind is strong, and we might accidentally set the trees on fire.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t make such rookie mistakes.”
“Good. Let’s go then.”
With a signal, we dashed towards the stronghold.
We swiftly approached the two guards on duty.
Closing the distance, I swung my sword without hesitation.
The vertical strike aimed at the opponent’s right shoulder.
There was a sound of bones breaking as the impact traveled through the sword hilt.
The opponent’s shoulder was shattered, and their shield fell to the ground.
“Keeeh?!”
A bizarre scream mixed with blood erupted.
The club they held in their remaining hand swung towards me.
Instinctively, I lowered my head to dodge the swing.
The strong wind narrowly passed over my head.
I immediately thrust my shield into their necks.
With a retching sound, they crumpled in place.
Unable to rise to their knees.
A nearby Yeti swung a cudgel at me.
There was a severe wind sound, and I felt a blow on my side.
“Ugh…!”
I gritted my teeth against the pain, adjusted my posture, and thrust my sword.
Blood sprayed into the air. Flesh soaked in blood flew into the void.
The decapitated Yeti writhed in panic, in agony.
I calmly raised my shield to block the cudgel.
Simultaneously, I stabbed directly at the throat.
The opponent, pierced through the neck, succumbed.
“Kayla!”
Before the voice could fully fade, the magic circle began to emit light.
A massive fireball descended upon the Yeti’s dwelling.
The wooden huts were engulfed in flames in an instant.
Despite the falling snow, the flames endlessly consumed everything.
Only then did the Yetis emerge from their huts.
Those who reacted too late were engulfed by flames and buried under the debris of the huts.
Among the chaos, only about seven survived.
Yet the Yetis showed no intention of surrendering their weapons.
Instead, they faced us with hostile expressions.
“This is too easy.”
I charged towards the nearest one. Their expected response revealed itself.
Instinctively, the opponent raised their shield.
I immediately altered the path of my sword, aiming below the shield.
I severed the Yeti’s leg and brought them down.
In an instant, a club swung dangerously close above my head.
Suddenly, three Yetis were charging towards me.
As the fierce gust brushed past my head, my nerves tingled.
Just as I was about to draw my sword, a pillar of fire erupted from the ground.
Without a chance to evade, the fire column engulfed the Yetis.
Amidst their agonizing screams, they rolled desperately on the burning snowfield.
I didn’t miss the opportunity. I swiftly severed their throats.
Now, only three remained.
The remaining ones hesitated, unable to rush forward recklessly.
Their already fallen comrades were evidence of our control.
“If the enemy won’t come to us, I’ll make the move.”
I charged forward, shield raised.
I deflected a crude stone axe and plunged into the Yeti’s embrace.
I thrust my sword into their abdomen.
I dodged a flying fist and strengthened my shield.
“Urgh…?!”
Once again, a strong impact was felt on my side.
From the corner of my vision, a Yeti swung a club at me.
I barely maintained my balance and resilience.
If I had fallen, I could have lost the upper hand.
I let go of my sword and gripped my shield with both hands.
I struck their face with the edge.
Blood splattered across their face.
Facing the opponent’s resistance, I struck their shoulder with my shield again.
I swung my arm until their bones broke and their screams ceased.
Finally, I snapped their neck, and the Yeti met their demise.
I quickly retrieved my sword from the ground.
Meanwhile, Kayla was engaging the remaining two.
Flames flickered around her.
With a faint ashen scent, her incantations looked almost mystical.
With an unknown chant, a massive explosion occurred around the Yeti’s dwelling.
The Yeti charging towards Kayla was immediately engulfed in a storm of flames.
They collapsed onto the snowy ground, charred black.
Only one remained.
Suddenly discarding their weapon, they started fleeing in the opposite direction.
Kayla took in the blazing fire into her mouth.
After a deep breath, she exhaled.
A massive wave of flames surged straight ahead.
‘Dragon’s Breath.’
Commonly referred to as ‘Breath’, it was a skill representing Kayla’s magic.
The last one couldn’t even resist and was consumed by the flames.
“Whew…”
After confirming the fate of all the enemies, I finally exhaled the breath I had been holding.
I felt a sharp pain from the side where I had been hit earlier.
Carefully lifting my armor, I checked my side.
Not only was it bruised blue, but blood was also flowing.
It seemed like a blood vessel had ruptured.
I had taken hits in the same spot twice with the club.
Still, I felt fortunate that it ended here.
If any bones had been broken, it could have led to more severe injuries.
“Seo-Hyun, are you alright…?!”
Kayla hurried over to check the bruise on my side.
In her hands was a potion I hadn’t noticed before.
She calmly supported me against a tree.
I laid back comfortably as she opened the potion.
“Please wait. I’ll treat you right away!”
Kayla poured the potion onto the wound, her expression grave.
As the potion touched the wound, the stinging sensation faded, and the bruise subsided.
The wound healed, and the reddened skin returned to normal.
But Kayla continued to examine my body, making sure there were no other injuries.
“Kayla, I’m fine now.”
“Are you sure there’s no other pain…? Please let me know if anything feels off!”
Now, she was sweeping her hands inside my clothes, seemingly excessively.
Even though there was hardly any debris, it felt a bit too much.
Suddenly, I remembered a familiar sight from her.
‘Erina.’
I recalled the first time Erina and I met.
After being wounded by goblins, she took care of me excessively.
She even felt around my body like she was now.
“It’s okay now.”
I immediately pushed away Kayla’s hand and stood up from his seat.
In the midst of it, she persistently examined my complexion.
“If you’re not feeling well, it’s okay to rest for a moment.”
I shook my head at her words. Even taking a break now felt like a waste of time.
Even at this moment, the sun in the sky was rapidly moving.
“Let’s move right away. Time is short. We need to hurry.”
I wiped the blood-stained sword that lay on the ground.
I brushed off the snow piled on the shield with my hand and gripped it properly.
Lastly, I tidied up the surroundings and took a step forward.
“Are you really okay? It’s fine not to push yourself.”
“Yeah. Let’s just go without worrying.”
Only the sound of footsteps crunching on the quiet forest floor could be heard.
With a rustling sound, a chill rose up from my legs.
The snow, now up to my ankles, continued to impede my steps.
Suddenly, I noticed Erina following behind me.
She was silently trailing behind me.
For some reason, she glanced at me with a worried expression.
I waited until Kayla caught up to me.
Her unfamiliarity with the snow piled on the ground occasionally made her stumble.
She looked precarious just by looking at her. I held onto her arm.
She leaned against me, supporting herself on my chest.
“This is your first time in the northern region, right?”
“Yes, I’m sorry…”
Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, Kayla apologized again.
She continued to look dejected since earlier.
I couldn’t understand.
She had never made a mistake before.
“Don’t apologize without reason.”
“…”
“Have confidence. You’ve been doing well so far.”
Fortunately, Kayla’s face brightened at my reassurance.
I liked seeing her always steadfast and following my lead.
There was no need for anyone else to show despondency or lack of spirit other than Erina.
“I’ve tried my best to ensure you don’t get hurt. But…”
Earlier, I had received a light wound on my side during the fight with the Yetis.
Self-blame emanated from her voice.
She was blaming herself without any reason.
“That’s overconfidence.”
Of course, if it were Erina, she would have wiped out all the snow leopards before I even stepped in.
But that was possible because she was Erina.
I always had to endure such injuries.
Countless battles lay ahead, and I couldn’t be afraid of such wounds.
“Are you afraid of Erina?”
After hesitating for a moment, Kayla quietly nodded.
The two had already fought once before.
At that time, Erina emerged as the victor.
Though I hadn’t witnessed the fight myself, I could guess roughly.
Probably Erina had overwhelmingly won.
“Well, she’s strong. That’s why.”
Despite being a character I developed myself, there were times when I couldn’t comprehend it.
When I saw her sweeping away all the monsters in the forest of the capital, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
However, it was unreasonable to put Kayla and Erina on the same level.
“Don’t worry too much. Erina is Erina, and you are you.”
Objectively speaking, Kayla was strong enough.
A natural lineage of dragons. Considerable power in flame magic. And outstanding physical abilities.
She was close to being an all-around character.
“Don’t blame yourself for being weaker than Erina or feeling dejected. I really think I’m lucky to have you.”
“Alright. Thank you.”
Finally, a spirited voice returned.
In its own way, my words seemed to be comforting, as Kayla expressed her gratitude with a peaceful expression.
And so, we walked out of the forest.
We diligently moved on to our next objective.
At that moment, screams of monsters could be heard in the distance.
Simultaneously, lightning struck from the sky.
The ground shook and thunder shook the surroundings.
“It looks like Erina is busy too.”
We couldn’t lose either.
We hastened our steps to find our next prey.
