In the depths of night, the forest was shrouded in darkness.
The wind howled, cutting through the air with a sharp, icy chill.
“Hmm.”
The cold was biting, and I instinctively huddled closer to the solitary campfire, seeking its warmth. As I glanced up at the night sky, countless stars twinkled back at me, a reminder of the long night still ahead.
A soft snore broke the silence, barely audible over the crackling fire. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. With a wry smile, I pulled my blanket tighter around me and surveyed the surroundings.
The forest was dense, with trees and underbrush growing thickly. At first glance, it seemed like any other forest, but there was one stark difference: everything was covered in frost. It was as if we were in the heart of Antarctica.
Regardless, I kept a vigilant watch, scanning the area for any signs of movement. Once I was sure we were alone, I allowed myself to relax a little.
How much time had passed?
Crack! The fire popped, sending sparks into the air. I looked up to see someone nodding off, their head bobbing up and down. It was Ahn Hyun.
“Mmm, sister Yeonju… you shouldn’t…”
Really? Falling asleep on watch and dreaming of such things? I had planned to let him sleep for another fifteen minutes, but his mutterings changed my mind. If it had been Yujeong or Han-gyeol, I might have let it slide, but not with Go Yeonju.
Seeing the sly smile on his face, I called out without hesitation.
“Hey, Ahn Hyun.”
“Whoa!”
To his credit, Ahn Hyun reacted immediately. He snapped his head up, eyes wide, scanning the surroundings with surprising alertness.
“Ahem. Ahem. Uh, hyung! Everything seems fine. Sniff.”
”…Is that so?”
“Cough, cough! Sniff.”
He tried to play it cool, but the drool on his chin gave him away. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he met my gaze with an awkward smile.
”…Sorry.”
I quietly rummaged through the pile of firewood beside me. “We’ll reach our destination by morning. If you’re sleepy, go get some rest. Just don’t mess up when it counts.”
“Oh, no! I couldn’t possibly leave you on watch alone, hyung. That would be unfair.”
“Then at least wipe the sleep from your eyes before you talk. Or let me know if you need a nap. Remember what I said back in Mule?”
I meant that if he was tired, he should ask for a break. It was better to sleep for fifteen minutes and be alert than to doze off while on watch. (Of course, this only worked if there were at least two people on watch.)
“Hehe.”
Ahn Hyun chuckled sheepishly, acknowledging his mistake. I sighed, deciding to let it go. This was the hardest time to stay awake, and I had dozed off plenty of times myself.
After a moment, Ahn Hyun yawned widely and finally gave in to his fatigue.
“Hyung, there’s still a lot of time left on watch, right?”
“Yeah, it’s a while before we switch.”
“Then, I’m really sorry, but can I sleep for just one minute? I’m so sleepy.”
”…I’ll wake you in five minutes. I’ll cover your area.”
As soon as I gave him permission, Ahn Hyun nodded off, snoring softly within ten seconds.
I tossed another log onto the fire, watching the flames dance and flicker. As I stared into the fire, my thoughts drifted.
It had been two weeks since we received the request from Istantel Low.
Given the urgency of the mission, I had announced the team and set out for the “Frozen Forest” the very next day.
Our team consisted of six clan members: myself, Ahn Hyun, Vivian, Shin Jae-ryong, Im Hanna, and Jung Ha-yeon. Including Song Seung-gyu, who joined us as a guide, we were seven in total.
Though it seemed like a small group, the client hadn’t objected. They were eager for us to depart as soon as possible.
The “Frozen Forest” wasn’t on our list of planned expeditions, but I remembered it well. It wasn’t particularly challenging by my standards, so I had only brought essential members. (Efficiency-wise, it would have been good to include Go Yeonju, but she was needed as the deputy clan leader.)
We had traveled west and reached the “Frozen Forest” three days ago. Now, we were just a day away from our final destination, the “Ice Tower.”
Everything had gone smoothly so far. We hadn’t encountered many monsters, thanks to the perimeter we had set up, and no one was injured, aside from the biting cold.
The only potential issue was the client…
‘Huh?’
Sssssss…
Hiiiiii…
Suddenly, I sensed something unusual. I snapped out of my thoughts, heightening my senses.
Without moving my head, I scanned the area with my eyes. Between the trees, I saw faint, ghostly figures appearing one by one. I counted roughly a hundred. At first glance, they looked like mist or heat waves, but…
‘There’s no way so many strange apparitions would appear at once.’
They were silent, likely because they had no physical form.
Hiiiiii…
Hoooooo…
The eerie wails were not something a human voice could produce. I gripped the sword hidden beneath my blanket, ready to wake Ahn Hyun.
“An…”
“Hyung.”
To my surprise, Ahn Hyun was already awake. He blinked a few times, still groggy, but his eyes were focused. His hand was already reaching for his “Black Spear.”
In a low voice, he asked, “Hyung… what are those?”
”…Wraiths.”
“Wraiths?”
He clenched and unclenched his hand around the spear, glancing around nervously. As he was about to dash towards the tent, I signaled him to wait and focused on the presence around us.
Sssssss…
Hiiiiii…
‘Do they not seem hostile?’
…Go…
…Attack…
Wait a minute.
‘They’re trying to say something.’
I kept my grip on the sword but listened more closely to the wraiths’ eerie voices.
…! Here… go!
Save… us… please…
Yes, it was clear now. What had initially sounded like wind was now forming words. Ahn Hyun seemed to hear it too, his face tense.
“Hyung… I hear strange murmuring. I can’t make it out clearly, but…”
Murmuring, indeed. Even with my heightened senses, I couldn’t hear it perfectly, so it must have been faint for Ahn Hyun.
I signaled that I understood and put a finger to my lips. Ahn Hyun fell silent.
Run…! Run away! Inside the forest, there’s much… danger…!
You’re being deceived… inside the tent… there’s…
I see. So that’s it.
The last words gave me a clear understanding of what the wraiths were trying to convey. I slowly released my grip on the sword.
”…”
I glanced back at the tent, then turned to meet the wraiths’ gaze.
Finally, I locked eyes with Ahn Hyun and spoke softly.
“Don’t worry. Just rest.”
“What? Rest?”
I nodded calmly. A flicker of confusion crossed his face.
Don’t worry…?
Must… not…!
The wraiths, quick to catch on, fell silent. I continued speaking, still focused on Ahn Hyun.
“I know. These are lost wraiths.”
“What?”
“Endure the cold. They’ll leave soon… and you’ll feel at ease. So don’t act rashly, just wait quietly.”
”?”
Ahn Hyun tilted his head, puzzled by my cryptic response. But the wraiths seemed to understand and acted accordingly.
The apparitions vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving behind a profound silence.
“Hey, were you talking to me just now?”
“Yeah, I was talking to you too.”
“What? I mean…”
“Come on, even if I say it clumsily, you should understand perfectly.”
With that, he casually got up to check the campfire. Nearby, a pot of leftover meat stew from dinner sat by the pile of logs.
I picked up the pot with a light touch and glanced at Ahn Hyun. He still looked dazed, swallowing hard.
“Want a bowl?”
Even in his bewildered state, his hunger was evident as Ahn Hyun nodded eagerly.
I handed him a bowl and, on a whim, looked up at the night sky.
The night was still long.
‘I’m looking forward to tomorrow.’
Morning came.
The morning in the ‘Frozen Forest’ was hardly different from dawn. The sun was bright in the sky, but its rays were blocked by the forest’s ice, failing to reach the ground.
The deeper we went, the colder it got, forcing us to rub our clothes for warmth as we marched on.
I wasn’t leading this time. At the front were our guide, Song Seung-gyu, and the archer, Lim Hanna. I stayed in the middle with Ahn Hyun, protecting the rest of the ranged classes.
Crunch, crackle!
Crunch, snap!
Every step on the frozen ground was accompanied by the sound of brittle underbrush breaking.
“Ugh, it’s freezing.”
As we trudged through the forest, Vivian hugged herself and grumbled. Even with two layers of enchanted robes, the cold of the ‘Frozen Forest’ was relentless.
“Tell me about it. I couldn’t sleep a wink last night. The campfire was warmer.”
“Right?”
Ha Yeon blew into her clasped hands and agreed with Vivian’s complaints. Then she turned to Shin Jae-ryong, who was quietly following beside her.
“Jae-ryong, aren’t you cold dressed like that? I saw you wearing just your priest’s robe last night.”
Surprised to be addressed, Shin Jae-ryong’s eyes widened briefly before he replied with a wry smile.
”…It’s quite cold.”
“Then why…”
“I focus better when I’m dressed like this during expeditions, especially in battle. Honestly, I regret it now since nothing’s happened yet… But I definitely feel the ‘Frozen Forest’ living up to its name.”
“Me too. I’d rather have a monster show up so I can move around. I feel like my joints are freezing.”
Ahn Hyun complained, though it was more out of boredom than anything else. He had been excited about the expedition, but the uneventful journey was leaving him restless.
“With the sun up like that… doesn’t anything melt here?”
Suddenly, Ahn Hyun approached me with a curious look.
“By the way, hyung, why is this place called the ‘Frozen Forest’? And why doesn’t the ice melt?”
”…I don’t know everything, you know.”
“Oh… I just thought you might know since you always visit the library before an expedition.”
“I didn’t have enough time to research this time…”
Despite my words, I knew what Ahn Hyun was hoping for. I’d shared a few related legends with him before when we visited the research lab and the magical city of Magia, and it seemed his curiosity was piqued again.
I sensed the clan members’ expectant gazes, even Lim Hanna, who was walking ahead, turned back with a slight smile.
‘About those legends… I don’t remember them in detail, but… Ah.’
I cleared my throat a couple of times and glanced at Song Seung-gyu’s back before speaking slowly.
“Well, I’m not entirely sure, but… you saw the wraiths yesterday, right?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Then listen. You know how you get that eerie feeling in graveyards or haunted houses? That’s what we call… negative energy. If we define that feeling as negative energy, then the ice in this forest isn’t just ice. It’s a crystallization of the grudges of wraiths, or spirits.”
“Crystallization? So all this ice is made of the negative energy from spirits?”
Ahn Hyun grasped the concept quickly, and I nodded in agreement.
“That’s one way to look at it. This forest is called the ‘Frozen Forest’ because it’s entirely frozen.”
“So then…”
I nodded at Ahn Hyun’s follow-up question.
“It’s one of two things. Either there’s a powerful spirit with enough negative energy to cover the entire forest, or there are countless spirits here.”
Or it could be both. I didn’t voice that last thought, choosing to end my explanation there. As I observed the reactions, I noticed the female clan members, especially Jung Ha-yeon, shivering slightly.
That’s when it happened.
Crunch, crackle! Thud!
A loud noise from the ground brought our march to a halt. Song Seung-gyu, who was leading, suddenly stopped.
Without turning around, Song Seung-gyu spoke.
“We’ve arrived.”
As I approached, Song Seung-gyu slowly raised a finger to point ahead. Though there was still some distance, a towering structure peeked through the trees.
“That’s our final destination.”
“I see it. Confirmed.”
”…What should we do? Rest first, or go in right away?”
“Let’s go in right away.”
I answered promptly, and the clan members tightened their formation, faces tense with anticipation.
Lim Hanna glanced at Song Seung-gyu, and with that, we resumed our march.
Crunch, crunch!
Crunch, crunch!
After a short while, we reached the tower without any interference.
“Wow, Kim Soo-hyun. This place is huge.”
Vivian exclaimed, looking up at the tower.
The view, aside from the ominous atmosphere, was quite beautiful. The tower stood in the center of a frozen lake, surrounded by thick ice that seemed to rise from below.
As Vivian noted, the tower was massive, easily reaching about 50 meters in height. It appeared to be made of simple bricks, but the ice clinging to its exterior gave it a distinct shape.
After a brief moment of admiration, I spoke quietly.
“Let’s prepare to enter.”
Soon, we began closing the distance to the tower.
As we got closer, the details of the exterior became clearer, with cracks and stains adding to its eerie presence.
That’s when it happened.
Lim Hanna, who was at the front, suddenly stopped and lowered her head, looking dazed.
“Lim Hanna?”
At that moment, Song Seung-gyu quickly pulled her back.
“It’s dangerous. A wraith.”
I shouted immediately.
“What’s going on?”
Regaining her senses, Lim Hanna pointed down with trembling hands.
“I felt something strange and looked down… something just whisked by.”
Her voice was tinged with fear. I used my third eye to scan below, puzzled. There was nothing but the frozen lake leading to the tower.
Then, Song Seung-gyu’s voice came.
”…It’s best not to look down.”
“What? Why?”
“As the Mercenary Lord mentioned… there are many spirits here. It’s best not to make eye contact. They’ll try to ensnare you.”
“Ah… I see. I’ll be careful.”
Lim Hanna placed a hand on her chest, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
“Mercenary Lord, we should enter the tower quickly.”
I looked at Song Seung-gyu for a moment, then nodded calmly.
“Alright. Let’s go in now. Everyone, prepare yourselves… Song Seung-gyu, lead the way.”
“Understood. I’ll go first.”
Song Seung-gyu responded immediately, striding into the open entrance. The rest of us exchanged glances before cautiously following him inside.
As we entered the tower, a sudden chill enveloped us.
And there, standing alone in the center of the empty chamber, surrounded by cold, icy bricks, was Song Seung-gyu. He continued to face forward, his expression hidden.
Then, in that position, he pointed upward.
“We should be able to reach the eighth floor directly.”
And the voice that followed, like nails on a chalkboard…
“Let’s go. Hehehe…”
It was far more chilling than anything we’d heard outside.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Originally, this chapter was meant to be a chilling horror story, but I decided to shift it to a regular exploration. The reason being, the upcoming scene involving a fiery spectacle with hair wouldn’t quite fit. Haha. -_-a
I apologize for taking a break yesterday. I’m not entirely sure why, but I felt unusually down, perhaps a case of the Monday blues. I was overwhelmed with a sense of loneliness… ㅜ.ㅠ
Anyway, I’ll continue to work hard.
Thank you for celebrating the 400th chapter with me. :)