The Frost Giant was unlike any other creature I’d encountered.
Unlike the Yetis who were similar in stature to me, the Frost Giant’s size was staggering.
Compared to my height, it loomed above me, towering.
Its strength was unbelievably formidable. It wielded a club made from a whole tree in its hands.
Just its sheer size alone was immense, almost matching me in stature.
I knew I wouldn’t survive a direct hit.
Blocking with my shield was risky; I’d likely be knocked back without overcoming the impact.
There was another reason why the Frost Giant was difficult to face.
“Kayla! Don’t use fire magic!”
But it was too late. A massive fireball was hurled into the air.
The Giant made no attempt to defend. It took the flaming projectile head-on.
Momentarily staggered by the explosion, it sustained no damage, not even a single scratch.
The Frost Giant was resistant to fire.
Kayla, though alarmed, quickly assessed the situation.
She immediately dispelled her magic and prepared a new incantation.
The preemptive attack elicited a roar of fury from the Giant.
The deafening sound threatened to burst my eardrums.
If this caused a commotion, more monsters could converge.
We needed to end this quickly.
“Kayla, can you immobilize it somehow?”
“I’ll do my best!”
With that, she stood before the Frost Giant.
Taking a deep breath, she composed herself.
The opponent was strong but not invincible.
Its massive size also revealed clear weaknesses.
The Giant swung a huge club at me.
The force was terrifying, but its speed was noticeably slow.
Moments before the club connected, I executed a forward roll.
The ground trembled, and a massive gust swept over me.
I hadn’t anticipated a direct leap towards me and hastily flailed my arms.
Seizing the opportunity, I thrust my blade into its arm.
“Ugh…!”
It felt like stabbing into rubber; the Giant didn’t even flinch.
Its resilience was unbelievable.
Suddenly, a boulder-like fist flew towards my face.
I bit down my shield and leapt aside.
‘Now…!’
There was a gap before he could retrieve his fist.
I hurled my shield towards its face, embedding the eagle emblem into its chin.
As it staggered, I swiftly retrieved the dagger strapped to my leg.
Without hesitation, I swung again.
The Giant’s head thudded against the ground.
I drove the dagger into its right calf.
A pained groan echoed above.
With its remaining foot, it attempted to crush me.
I rolled away just in time.
Its foot grazed my abdomen, leaving me reeling.
A significant impact was felt even when the attack was deflected.
“I’m ready!”
At last, the awaited voice.
Simultaneously, a massive magic circle unfolded in the sky.
I rolled away from the Giant.
The magic circle glowed, unleashing a storm.
The tempest wrapped around the Giant’s body.
Unlike the fire magic, this had an effect.
The Frost Giant staggered and slumped down.
“Now is the time. Should we finish it like this…?!”
In that moment, something unexpected happened.
The Frost Giant hurled the club it was holding directly at Kayla.
Lost in concentration on her magic, she couldn’t evade in time.
She was struck head-on by the club, which was the size of a person.
Kayla was sent flying and slammed into a tree.
“Kayla!”
“I’m… fine…!”
Fortunately, she didn’t seem seriously injured.
The Giant staggered, trying to regain its footing.
I couldn’t afford to miss this chance.
Before it could rise, I charged forward.
I drove my blade into its leg, tearing through the flesh.
Deep wounds were carved from knee to calf.
It couldn’t remain standing.
Its body collapsed as I struck wildly with my fists.
As a fist brushed past my face, bones crackled.
I barely managed to twist my body slightly to avoid a direct hit.
But I didn’t have time to feel fear.
Continuing with my sword in both hands, I relentlessly attacked.
The once snow-white skin was now stained crimson with blood.
Finally, its desperate struggles began to cease.
Eventually, the Frost Giant fell to the ground.
Even in that moment, it thrashed its hands in a final futile resistance.
But it was futile. I calmly approached its chest and thrust my blade.
A deep rumble surged, then subsided, life ebbing away.
I ensured its demise, severing its head.
After confirming its fate, I hurried over to Kayla.
“Kayla!”
“I’m fine. It’s nothing serious…”
Fortunately, she wasn’t badly injured.
Though clutching her abdomen, she managed to stand unaided.
Still concerned, I examined her carefully.
Brushing off dirt and snow from her clothes, she reassured me.
“I’m okay. It’s just a club hit; I’m fine.”
“You could have internal injuries.”
“I’m really okay. At least I can boast a sturdy body.”
She didn’t appear too injured on the surface.
Despite taking a club hit almost as big as a person, she seemed unscathed.
It was a stark reminder of her strength.
“Thank god. Let’s be more careful next time.”
“Oh, yes…!”
We successfully concluded the hunt.
However, Kayla’s expression remained subdued.
She held onto my arm, her voice cautious.
“Seo-Hyun, could you spare a moment to listen to me?”
She hesitated, subtly blocking the way with a tense demeanor, interrupting hurriedly.
“The sun is setting soon. If we delay further, nightfall will come.”
“…”
“I understand this may seem like off-topic advice. But I wanted to caution against pushing further with the hunt.”
I sensed what she wanted to say.
She was suggesting we conclude the expedition and return to the village.
I also knew my body had reached its limit.
While I could push on with the hunt, there was no need to overexert.
“Agreed. Let’s head back to the village.”
Kayla’s face brightened at my words.
Just as I worried for her, Kayla was also concerned for me.
Honestly, I wanted to continue the hunt.
Despite my exhausted body, my spirit remained determined.
We had about an hour until sunset.
During all this time, I had wanted to face more monsters.
But as Kayla said, there was no need to push ourselves too hard.
After all, tomorrow we would still be roaming the tundra, planning to kill more monsters.
It was prudent to thoroughly prepare and anticipate tomorrow.
“Kayla, you did well today.”
“No, Seo-Hyun. You did more.”
I wiped the blood off my face and cleaned my sword.
I adjusted my pouch and prepared to return to the village.
“Erina is probably still battling monsters.”
As Kayla said, Erina was nowhere in sight yet.
Even if she was incredibly powerful, it was impossible to confront all the monsters in the tundra.
From the outset, I had estimated it would take a week, given how vast the tundra was.
“No matter how strong Erina is, it must be impossible.”
Well… Even so, I’m worried. Should we use flares to signal Erina to join us?”
Kayla’s mouth froze.
Somewhere, there was a persistent sense of danger.
My hand instinctively tightened around my sword.
Goosebumps ran down my spine, and my senses sharpened.
The tension was so strong that it choked my breath, making me forget the cold.
In the distance, I could make out a faint figure.
It was rushing towards us at an incredible speed.
As it drew closer, the scent of blood grew stronger.
Soon, I could face the owner of this vigor.
“Seo-Hyun!”
Erina appeared before me.
Her voice was filled with excitement, as if we hadn’t seen each other in half a day.
I intended to greet her with light hand-holding and a word of thanks.
But upon seeing her, I couldn’t help but hold my breath.
Her entire body was drenched in blood.
Her white skin and hair were a messy mix of bloodstains and flesh.
From the hilt of her sword to her armor, everything was drenched in crimson.
From afar, one might mistake her for a walking corpse.
But amidst it all, there was not a drop of Erina’s blood.
It was all splatter from vanquished monsters.
Despite her disheveled appearance, she looked only at me.
Breathing heavily in excitement, she stared at me with hopeful eyes.
Amidst this, her eyes sparkled beautifully.
“I-I’m a little late… But I managed to wipe them all out before sunset!”
She was like an excited puppy seeking praise.
But I couldn’t approach her.
Seeing her current state, who could greet her with a bright smile?
Nevertheless, I suppressed my astonishment and spoke.
“Erina… Did you happen to encounter the monsters to the east?”
“Yes! I wiped them all out. Not a single one left alive!”
