I had become accustomed to killing monsters.
The guilt of murder no longer haunted me.
But the stench of blood and the sight of corpses still turned my stomach.
If I don’t kill them, I’ll die.
With that thought, I swung my sword towards the enemy without hesitation.
But today, I had never killed so many demons before.
“How many have I killed so far…?”
The answer didn’t come immediately.
After a moment of thought, Kayla quietly spoke up.
“I think it’s probably over a hundred.”
“Well, I guess I’m making progress.”
The sun was setting in the west before I knew it.
As dusk fell, night slowly began to creep in.
I sat down on the ground for a moment and sighed.
As tension left my body, the recoil of everything hit me.
Breath caught in my throat and my heart raced incessantly.
Each exhale caused my legs to tremble.
As the sweat cooled on my skin, my body temperature began to drop.
The fierce wind continued to blow through the pine trees.
Shivering in the bitter cold, I leaned against a nearby tree.
Suddenly, I felt warmth against my back.
Without warning, Kayla had approached and gently embraced me.
“Excuse me. Could you please remove your armor for a moment?”
Though we were on the battlefield, all nearby demons had been eradicated.
It would be okay to briefly lay down our weapons.
I began to tidy up my sword and shield and loosened the straps of my armor.
She slowly helped me out of my armor.
As the heavy armor came off, I felt relief.
Even the leather tunic underneath was removed.
Her touch reached my exposed back.
She carefully swept down from my shoulders to my waist.
Warmth radiated through my spine.
The chill that had stiffened my backbone receded as a comforting warmth enveloped me.
“It’s a magic using the power of fire. Let me transfer some warmth to you.”
And as if that wasn’t enough, Kayla lightly massaged me or brought a towel to wipe away the sweat.
Her earnest efforts to assist me were deeply appreciated.
As the increasing warmth spread, vitality returned to my body.
I wanted nothing more than to continue leaning on her and rest.
But time was not on our side.
To end the contact, I turned away.
“Kayla…?”
When I turned back, Kayla’s complexion had turned pale.
I grabbed her arm in surprise, but quickly let go.
Her body temperature had dropped to an alarming degree.
Before I could ask what was wrong, she spoke first.
“In truth, this magic uses my body heat as payment…”
“Stop it right now.”
There must have been a reason Kayla hadn’t used magic earlier.
I forcibly grabbed her hand, but it was too late.
I could feel the chill, trembling through my body.
“I-I’m fine. I dressed warmly…”
“Don’t ever do this again.”
I quickly embraced Kayla, but she stubbornly pushed me away.
She insisted that I shouldn’t hold her cold body.
“I can endure this much for your sake…”
No matter how tired I was, I hadn’t asked for this level of kindness.
Though Kayla continuously nodded, reassuring me she was fine, I couldn’t find any comfort in it.
Upon realizing that I wasn’t joking, her face stiffened.
Glancing around cautiously, she whispered in a quiet voice.
“…I’m sorry. I thought I could be of help.”
Her hesitant apology made me uneasy.
Seeing her like this stirred up anxiety within me.
Why did Erina’s image overlap with her?
It was not a good sign.
Even Erina’s obsession alone was overwhelming for me.
If Kayla were to become similar to her, I wouldn’t be able to handle both of them.
“Kayla.”
“Yes, please tell me.”
In the past, I would have comforted her with kind words or convinced her that it wasn’t a bad thing.
But now, I felt differently.
Had Erina started to influence her because of my lenient attitude?
“Don’t go this far to help me.”
This time, I decided to be straightforward.
In fact, it was a very important statement.
No matter how precious I was, there was no reason for her to sacrifice herself.
I would rather decline. I didn’t want such favors.
“I’m fine. Seo-Hyun doesn’t need to worry about me…”
“Kayla. Please listen to me.”
“B-But…”
“I don’t want to repeat the same thing multiple times.”
I had already tired Erina with similar words. It had become exasperating.
I believed that after saying this, Kayla would understand.
She seemed a little surprised but thankfully seemed to agree.
“I’m sorry. I acted too presumptuously.”
“I understand how much you care. But don’t overdo it.”
“Alright.”
Unlike before, a subtle tension lingered between us.
Before the awkwardness could set in, I quickly stood up.
In truth, I was also in a difficult position. I knew what she desired.
It was purely an action for my sake.
But as a result, my colleague could collapse from the cold.
The responsibility would all fall back on me.
That’s why I couldn’t stand by.
Kayla bowed her head deeply, looking dejected.
I felt sorry inside, but it was too late to comfort her.
Instead, I decided to change the subject.
“Let’s head south for now. I heard there are some wolves stationed far from the mountains.”
Kayla still looked at me with a worried expression.
“…Are you really okay? You pushed yourself too hard today.”
“I’m fine. We don’t have much time before sunset, so let’s hurry.”
I picked up my sword and shield and put on my armor.
Kayla silently helped me fasten the straps of my armor.
After preparations were done, we resumed our march.
The snow-covered landscape had blanketed everything to the point of losing direction.
Without a close look, it would be difficult to spot any monsters.
We almost missed a wandering pack of wolves.
They were nomads without a camp.
“Kayla. Are you ready to fight?”
“Yes, I can still fight.”
“Good. Let’s ambush them. The plan is the same as before.”
She immediately began chanting, drawing out a magic circle.
The shape of the magic circle appeared in the sky.
The circular array glowed red and transformed into sharp flames.
Fire arrows conjured from the magic circle rained down on the enemies.
In such situations, there were usually two types of reactions.
The first was to block the fire arrows with a shield.
If the shield was made of wood, it was undoubtedly the worst choice.
The flames caught on the shield and surged upwards.
Caught off guard by the intensifying flames, I began rolling on the snowy ground.
The second reaction was a calm dispersal while crouching down.
These Yetis were more clever than expected.
They each took positions behind rocks and trees, preparing to counterattack.
“I’ll handle them, keep up the fire arrows.”
“Understood!”
I charged straight towards the hidden Yetis, striking them down one by one.
The few that survived couldn’t even approach me.
In the meantime, I systematically took down each Yeti.
Some were eager and rushed towards me.
However, before they could reach me, they were pierced by the fire arrows.
Most didn’t even consider resisting, too focused on dodging the arrows from behind cover.
In an instant, the group of nine Yetis was wiped out.
It was a short-lived battle, but my body felt heavy.
Having fought continuously since morning, fatigue was accumulating.
Nevertheless, I could still endure.
Having hunted Yetis frequently, I was getting the hang of it.
I could discern their behavior patterns and instinctive habits.
I felt the fruits of my efforts in subduing them.
I had never experienced such intense grinding in a game.
“Seo-Hyun. Shouldn’t we head back now?”
“No, let’s hunt one more group.”
I still had enough strength left.
Although my body was sluggish, my mind was clearer than ever.
“Seo-Hyun, even if you say you’re fine, it doesn’t look that way to me.”
“I’m okay. Trust me.”
Eventually, Kayla acquiesced to my firmness.
Instead, she approached me and uncorked a vial.
Before I knew it, blood was flowing down the back of my hand.
I didn’t even know when or how I got hurt. There wasn’t even any pain.
As the potion touched my skin, a tingling sensation sent shivers down my spine.
“Please don’t overdo it. Safety always comes first.”
Realizing she couldn’t dissuade me, she fell silent.
It didn’t mean I wasn’t afraid of death.
In fact, I was exposing myself the most to injury.
When I decided to become a shield bearer, Erina had opposed it for a reason.
But I had chosen to take the forefront.
Once I decided to wield my sword and shield, I had to face the enemy head-on.
I had been relentlessly battling monsters, honing my swordsmanship and defense.
Now, I could handle most of the mountain creatures.
But I still had a long way to go. This was just the beginning.
As the story progressed, the challenges would become more dangerous, and opportunities to strengthen wouldn’t come easily.
Having come this far, I had to level up to the best of my abilities.
Suddenly, a strange vibration emanated from the ground.
Amidst the pine trees, a figure I had never seen before appeared.
“It’s finally shown up.”
It was easily over two meters tall.
Resembling a Yeti but covered in fur all over its body.
Just looking at its muscles and size indicated considerable strength.
Frost Giant. The leader and elite of the Yetis.
Seeing its red eyes, a sense of intimidation washed over me.
When our eyes met, a chill ran down my spine.
Excitedly recognizing me, it began swinging its massive fists.
It was a casual gesture to limber up, but even that was quite threatening.
But I didn’t back down. I faced it head-on with my sword and shield.
“Kayla, get ready.”
“Yes…!”
The time had come to kill the last game of the day.
