Ch.1The girl ran toward the starting point.

In the year the boy turned seven, he received his name from the man called father.

“From now on, you are Seo-erin.”

The boy, Seo-erin, looked up at his father. His father’s face was unfamiliar to Seo-erin. His father was always busy and showed little interest in him.

They rarely crossed paths.

That’s why Seo-erin remembered him by his smell. A fishy yet somehow familiar, but unpleasant odor.

“Seo-erin…”

“You’re growing more like your mother every day…”

Thud-

A large hand patted Seo-erin’s head. The hand, larger than Seo-erin’s face, conveyed not a trace of affection.

Like someone appraising an object, he merely turned the boy’s head this way and that, examining his face.

Seo-erin watched his father’s retreating back. He still didn’t know his father’s name, as no one ever called him by it.

‘Chieftain’ was the other title Seo-erin knew for his father.

After that, the chieftain lost interest in Seo-erin. Seo-erin knew why. He had too many siblings.

Rather than giving attention to all his children from the start, the chieftain only cared for those who showed promise from an early age. Thus, Seo-erin remained outside his interest.

Seo-erin’s background also contributed to this indifference. His mother was a woman of unknown origin. The chieftain had gone hunting and brought back a woman instead of prey.

That’s how Seo-erin was born.

Most of Seo-erin’s siblings were born this way too. The one who received the most attention was, naturally, the eldest son, the confirmed heir.

He was the legitimate successor born to the chief’s official wife.

There was no discrimination. Partly because the succession was already settled, and partly because Seo-erin wasn’t born with any threatening talents.

Despite living in a harsh region where snow fell year-round, Seo-erin grew up well-fed and healthy.

After Seo-erin turned ten, he joined his tribal brothers on hunts. Due to his young age, he was limited to carrying loads or skinning animals.

Seo-erin learned how to hunt by following his brothers. It was then that his unexpected talent was discovered.

He was exceptionally good at skinning. Without anyone teaching him, he would deftly wield a dagger to remove the hide and flesh from animals.

The skill of skinning without damaging the hide or meat was welcomed by all tribe members.

“You’re quite good!”

His brothers began to show him goodwill. That’s how Seo-erin gradually established his own place.

Seo-erin thought skinning was his only talent. Most of his brothers also excelled at just one thing.

But he was different.

Seo-erin discovered this when he happened to hold a carving knife. As soon as he gripped it, he instinctively knew.

That he could do something with it.

It was similar to when he first held the obsidian dagger for skinning. The resonance with the cold blade, the hazy memories flowing into his mind, and his body moving in response.

Seo-erin didn’t resist this phenomenon.

That day, Seo-erin carved a small wooden wolf. Though rough and imperfect, it clearly showed the work of someone talented.

Seo-erin looked down at the wooden figure he had made. Then he picked up a rusty iron sword once used by tribal warriors.

“Ah…”

And he realized. His true talent must never be revealed.

Especially not to his brother Hakam.

Seo-erin had observed how brothers who threatened the chieftain’s position would suddenly disappear.

So Seo-erin kept quiet. Having no desire for power, he was quite content with his current position.

“You can carve too? Try carving my likeness.”

Hakam, the eldest son, said after seeing Seo-erin’s wooden carving. Hakam, who had inherited all the chieftain’s talents, was a natural leader.

Hakam was fond of Seo-erin. He was unthreatening and obedient. He also possessed skills beneficial to the tribe. Hakam thought he would be a valuable asset when he eventually took over the tribe.

That evening, Seo-erin made a carving as Hakam requested. A fist-sized piece of wood had been transformed into a miniature Hakam. It showed incomparable quality compared to his first wolf carving.

Hakam was greatly pleased and gifted Seo-erin a necklace made of wolf claws. It was Hakam’s token, given only to those he considered his own.

Time passed quickly. When Seo-erin turned fourteen, he gained a younger sister who shared the same mother. The newborn sister also inherited the same hair color as Seo-erin.

Snow white.

The aging chieftain no longer ignored Seo-erin. Growing old and frail, he knew his position could be challenged at any time.

An old wolf gains wisdom as it loses strength. The same was true for the chieftain. He withdrew from all affairs, effectively passing the chieftain’s position to Hakam.

When Hakam inherited the chieftain’s position, Seo-erin’s status within the tribe also rose. Unlike Seo-erin’s childhood, his younger sister did not grow up neglected.

She grew up happily, cared for by everyone.

Seo-erin’s sister was very attached to her brother. When she began to walk, she would toddle after him, and when Seo-erin returned from hunting, she would run to embrace him.

Seo-erin didn’t mind his sister either. Watching her small body running around would involuntarily bring a smile to his face.

The more time they spent together, the deeper his affection grew.

Time continued to flow. Winter never ended, and the persistent cold caused food shortages. However, Seo-erin’s tribe remained prosperous, being the most powerful in the region.

The food they extorted from other tribes as “tribute” kept Seo-erin’s tribe well-fed.

When Seo-erin’s sister turned seven, she too received a name.

Hakam gave her the name.

“As Seo-erin’s sister, a similar-sounding name would be good. Yes, I’ll call her Sei-ran.”

Like most people in the tribe, Sei-ran showed talent in a specific area. She had a strong affinity for shamanism.

Seo-erin didn’t like this fact. The tribe’s shamans were somewhat bizarre and gloomy. He also disliked the thick makeup painted on their faces.

But he couldn’t express his dissatisfaction openly. It was tribal tradition, and Chieftain Hakam had made his decision.

From that day on, Sei-ran received training from the shamans.

A week after Sei-ran began her training with the shamans, they were making a fuss praising her.

“Unbelievable! Communing with spirits after just one week!”

“It’s the reincarnation of the great shaman Hamon!”

Seo-erin’s life was perfect in every way. A peaceful daily routine with everything he needed, abundant food, a secure future, and a talented sister.

Though he regretted not receiving parental love, it didn’t bother him much anymore.

Seo-erin hoped this life would continue until he died of old age.

***

Late in the evening, Seo-erin and his brothers returning from hunting were confronted with their devastated tribe.

A horrific sight.

The walls made of snow and ice had collapsed, and buildings constructed of wood and animal hides were all ablaze.

Hakam, Seo-erin, and all his brothers held their breath. They lowered their posture, their muscles twitching.

Seo-erin smelled the scent of blood cutting through the burnt odor. Not the musky smell of beasts. It was the blood scent of humans, beings with the same physical structure as himself.

And it was also the smell of death.

Seo-erin was particularly sensitive to smells.

His hand gripped his spear tightly. Crunch- Blood flowed from his hand due to the strong grip, sliding down the shaft.

Seo-erin, Hakam, and all their brothers were enraged.

At that moment, a man walked out from the ruined tribe.

The man wore a pitch-black coat. To Seo-erin, who had lived his entire life in this snowy wilderness, it was an utterly unfamiliar attire.

“Ah, there you are.”

The man’s tone was flat. There was no sense of provocation or anger. Like someone regarding objects, he looked at Hakam, Seo-erin, and his brothers standing before him.

“I wondered why they needed a barbarian’s body… Did they need a vessel to transfer into? Not bad…”

Barbarian. A term Seo-erin had heard used by those from beyond the snow lands to refer to his people. He was greatly angered.

Hakam and Seo-erin maintained their low posture and began circling sideways. All of Seo-erin’s brothers had learned hunting methods that mimicked wolf movements.

The same applied when hunting humans. They formed a pack like wolves and began surrounding their prey.

The man remained calm. Rather, he held his nose and frowned at Seo-erin’s brothers as they approached.

“Don’t come closer. You stink.”

Slash-!

At first, Seo-erin didn’t understand what happened. The moment something flashed before his eyes, the brother beside him collapsed.

Belatedly, as he was sprayed with blood, his mind cleared.

Slash-!

Once more, light flashed. This time, another brother next to Hakam fell.

Slash-!

Again, the same. Another brother collapsed. Only then could Seo-erin recognize the object the man was holding.

A blade with elegant curves, with a pattern that rippled like waves along its length. Seo-erin realized it was a sword.

However, it was a type of sword he had never seen before.

It was in that moment. Seo-erin realized that the world he was watching had slowed down tremendously.

The man holding the unusual sword lowered his stance. In the slowed world, only the man seemed able to move freely, displaying movements detached from everything else.

Maintaining his lowered stance, he drew back the sword in his right hand. As the extended blade elegantly wavered and was sucked into its scabbard, it was drawn out again in an instant.

Flash-

Yes. This was it. Seo-erin thought as he fell. This slash had felled his brothers.

And now him too.

The spear in his hand split. The slash didn’t stop after cutting through Seo-erin’s weapon. It continued through his leather clothing, the skin and muscle beneath, and even split his bone.

The slowed time returned to normal. Suddenly, Seo-erin found himself lying on the cold snow. As his body cooled, his vision blurred.

Seo-erin sensed his impending death.

Through his fading consciousness, he heard his brother Hakam’s voice. Howling like a beast, unleashing his fury. He even spewed the worst curses Seo-erin knew.

But Hakam’s shouting didn’t last long. At some point, silence fell.

‘Haah…’

Seo-erin exhaled a very short, thin breath. With each breath, he felt as if his soul was leaving his body.

At that moment, someone approached Seo-erin. Small, delicate footsteps, someone with a scent similar to his own.

How could he not know? It was his sister, Sei-ran.

“Se, Sei-ran…”

Seo-erin smiled faintly, toward where his sister stood. Though his eyes had already lost their strength and he could see nothing, he knew.

Run away.

Seo-erin’s words remained unfinished. His body was dying.

But Sei-ran didn’t run away. She didn’t cry either. She knelt before her brother’s body and smeared his flowing blood on her hands.

Swish-

Her small fingers inscribed characters onto his body. One signified the soul.

Her small fingers inscribed characters onto his body. Another signified binding.

Her blood-covered finger connected the two characters. Then moved again to enclose the characters in a round circle.

Binding the soul and trapping it in the flesh.

Sei-ran wished for her brother not to die.