The woman spent a long time in deep contemplation.
Her power was nothing short of a great miracle, yet the demonic force that bent nature itself to its will was no less formidable.
Alone, she simply couldn’t match it.
But after the final extermination squad was swept away like fallen leaves, people had firsthand experience of the demon’s overwhelming power.
Amidst that helplessness, the woman alone refused to give up.
Even in despair, she muttered like a mantra:
“There must be some way. There has to be a method.”
Yet every time the situation seemed to improve, it would worsen again.
The miracles she wrought were turning to dust.
After a long, agonizing deliberation, she reached a conclusion: she could not just stand by any longer.
So, pausing her efforts briefly, she vowed to find a solution.
“Don’t lose hope. Hold on until I return,” she said, turning her steps toward the Valley of the Divine Maiden.
A long time passed.
As the scales tipped toward utter destruction,
when all humanity was thrashing in a sea of despair,
the woman finally reappeared.
Those who had waited,
those who had given up,
those who sat dazed and defeated,
even those who were about to accuse her of running away—
she smiled brighter than ever before.
“I found it.”
“I found a way.”
Everyone fell silent.
Because the method she found was truly unbelievable.
—From the secret library of the southern city of Atlanta, “The Legend of the Dancer.”
They began to slink down the slope, one by one. Their sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, but their path led straight to where we had been eating. Ha Seung-woo’s prediction was correct.
“Clan Lord, what’s your assessment?”
Woo Jung-min’s calm voice pulled me from my thoughts. I knew their identity, their strengths and weaknesses. We had even selected close-combat fighters with a battle against them in mind. How could I relay their traits without giving away too much?
“There are twelve of them. They look like a mix between lions and wolves.”
“Lions and wolves?”
“Their heads have manes like lions, but their bodies are sleek and agile. Sizes vary, but the largest is about 2.5 meters long. Their arms and legs are especially long.”
“Hmm.”
Just as I finished the brief description, the creatures began to trample down the slope, crunching the snow beneath their feet. They sniffed the air with their noses, scratched the ground with sharp claws. One even hesitated, tilting its head as if uncertain, before turning away.
A long howl ripped through the air.
One of them suddenly stood upright and howled toward the slope. The sound was unlike any wolf’s cry, and the others’ expressions shifted subtly. The ringing in my ears was almost unbearable.
“So they’re not just quadrupeds—they can walk on two legs too? Lycanthropes, maybe?”
Gong Chan-ho frowned. “Why not just take them out immediately? Twelve of them? I could handle that alone.”
“Wait.”
I grabbed Gong Chan-ho’s arm and pointed uphill. Soon, the slope’s end began to glow faintly white. The sunlight reflected off the snow, turning the entire slope into a dazzling silver.
“W-what the…”
Jin Soo-hyun’s mouth dropped open. Creatures with silver manes flowing like beards were slowly descending the slope. New arrivals. Their numbers easily surpassed a few hundred, their reflected light blinding.
“How many are there?”
Before anyone could finish, Cha So-rim stepped forward, scanning the area. Within five seconds, she nodded.
“About twenty groups… roughly two hundred and forty creatures.”
Her calm voice was almost chilling. The sudden appearance was shocking, but Cha So-rim’s quick calculation was impressive. She stepped back a few paces and looked at me with a serious expression.
“These monsters seem to follow some kind of command structure.”
“A command structure?”
“Exactly. If you look closely, they move in groups of twelve. Each group has a role. The first ones down are probably scouts. They saw something strange where we were and called for reinforcements.”
That explained the quick count. If twelve made a group, and there were twenty groups, that meant at least two hundred forty had come down.
“The ones that just appeared are likely only a fraction. Worst case, the main force could be nearby.”
“Wait. We don’t have much time. The barrier magic will break soon.”
As Cha So-rim finished, Ha Seung-woo interrupted urgently. When I asked how much time was left, he held up three fingers. Not three hours—three minutes.
After a brief silence, Kim Han-byul looked at me.
“What do we do now? Are we going to fight?”
I fell into thought. Since they had come down from the mountain and we had to pass through here, there was only one option left. Avoidance wasn’t appealing. Even if we tried to circle around, they’d notice and track us like ghosts. I shared my plan, and the others nodded in understanding. The question now was how to fight.
“Heh. So it’s going to be a straight-up brawl?”
“That’s the worst option.”
Gong Chan-ho gripped his spear tightly, sneering, when a cheerful voice cut in. All eyes shifted to Je-gal Hae-sol, who smiled brightly and flicked his index finger.
“If they were just mindless attackers, maybe. But these organized ones aren’t easy opponents. Charging headlong will only get us surrounded in no time.”
“This guy.”
Ha Seung-woo curled his pinky finger, signaling ‘hurry up and speak.’ Je-gal Hae-sol, a bit embarrassed, quickly continued.
“The best plan is simple. Since we’re going to fight anyway, we should pick a spot that gives us some terrain advantage.”
“Is there such a place?”
“Of course. There are two great hills right here.”
Ha Seung-woo questioned, and Je-gal Hae-sol pointed left. Two large hills loomed, almost overlapping in sight. They rose steeply, sharp peaks towering higher than most buildings. The same hills we had noticed during our meal.
“You want to fight on those hills?”
“If we could climb them quickly, that’d be ideal. But since we can’t, I suggest we move between the two hills.”
“Between the hills? What if they cut off our retreat?”
“Oh, we’d get surrounded no matter where we fight. If the barrier is going down, we should at least pick a spot where we take fewer hits. Somewhere easier to defend. Between those hills, we can minimize their strengths and maximize our small numbers’ advantage.”
Ha Seung-woo had no reply, just pursed his lips. But Je-gal Hae-sol wasn’t done; he turned to me just as Ha Seung-woo folded his middle finger. One minute left.
“And as So-rim said, we have to consider the worst case. These are probably just the vanguard. What if the main force, hundreds strong, is beyond that?”
“Right. So what’s the plan for that?”
I folded my arms and asked quietly.
Je-gal Hae-sol grinned.
The plan was set. Ha Seung-woo lowered his arms—time was almost up.
“Alright.”
Kim Soo-hyun stepped back a few paces, scanning the team. Locking eyes with each member, he nodded lightly—a signal to begin.
“Let’s get started.”
With a soft whoosh—
“Did he move?”
Woo Jung-min muttered just as Kim Soo-hyun vanished into thin air. He had used the ‘Shift Form’ technique.
Growls sounded as a few creatures snapped their heads up, but that was all. They merely watched warily, taking no action. Even with the highest-level speed ability, his movement was beyond anything they could detect.
“…They didn’t even sense it.”
Lee Yoo-jung muttered in disbelief.
“Alright, first phase is a success. Let’s get moving.”
Je-gal Hae-sol clapped lightly and quickly embraced Cha So-rim, who didn’t resist. Soon, the mages and priests began to cling to or be carried by the close-combat fighters.
Among them, Je-gal Hae-sol was the least experienced, but everyone silently followed his lead. It wasn’t a flashy plan, but as its proposer, and given his confident gaze, they trusted him.
“The barrier will break soon.”
Ha Seung-woo, carried by Heo Jun-young, spoke with a hint of irritation.
“No need to count down. See those two big hills? Head inside between them. Let’s move!”
It was a bit sudden, but the moment the word “Go” was given, the remaining users all burst out from the hill, sprinting with all their might toward a new ridge.
And then—
Grrr? Grrrrr!
Clang! Clang!
The monsters reacted in less than a second. After spotting the users crossing the snowy field, those standing on two legs immediately dropped down.
Moments later, the lead monster let out a long, mournful howl. As if responding to the call, the entire pack of 240 creatures stamped the ground in unison.
The monsters, which Gong Chan-ho had described as lycanthropes, initially seemed to be pursuing in a straight horizontal line. That alone was impressive, but then their formation shifted. The group running near the center suddenly slowed, while the left and right flanks began to advance steadily.
Soon, the flanks stretched out wide, fanning out like a broad crescent. In other words, the monsters were forming the perfect encirclement to trap the intruders.
Crunch, crunch!
Thud-thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The sight of hundreds of monsters charging through the piled snow, sending sprays of ice dust flying in all directions, was nothing short of spectacular.
Whoosh!
At that moment, something huge burst into flames in the direction of the fleeing intruders. A blazing fireball tore fiercely through the air.
No one knew who had launched it, but the monster leading the central pack clearly noticed the attack. Yet instead of dodging, it leapt with all its might and charged headlong into the fireball without a hint of hesitation.
BOOM!
The explosion sounded like two boulders crashing together. Flames erupted everywhere in midair, whipping the snow into a frenzy. Amid the thick, billowing white smoke, a dark silhouette darted swiftly through the air like a shadowy hawk.
Astonishingly, it was the monster itself—having taken the full brunt of the fire magic, it emerged unscathed!
Though its mane briefly caught fire, the flames died out in an instant. Aside from some soot stains and a slight drop in speed, it appeared completely unharmed.
Roooaaaarrr!
Shortly after landing back on the ground, the monster let out a thunderous roar and charged forward again. Its fierce cry, piercing the sky, spurred the pack to intensify their pursuit. Their four-legged sprint across the snow-covered field was nothing less than breathtaking, steadily closing the distance with relentless determination.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Looks like this battle will wrap up within the next two chapters.
Wow, I’ve already received over 30 messages without even realizing it.
I’ll do my best to reply to as many as I can over the weekend. :)
On a personal note, I have some good news—I’ve cut back a lot on smoking lately.
Back when it was really bad, I’d go through a whole pack in just five days. These days, a single pack lasts me at least three days.
Of course, quitting altogether would be best, but hey, baby steps. Haha.