Chapter 6: Adaptation (3)

01.

The apartment reconstruction site was located close enough that even an unchanged human body could reach it within five minutes.

With a brisk walk, it wouldn’t even take three minutes, but now, as Selberion, I could effortlessly reach the place in less than a few dozen seconds.

“…”

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop like a ninja, the reconstruction site soon came into view.

I landed lightly on the sandy ground of the construction site and steadied myself. 

The workers had already evacuated, leaving no trace of anyone behind.

“Ah.”

Meanwhile, overhead, a dark shadow loomed large— the Dark Wyvern’s form becoming even more distinct.

—Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeen!!

“Hmm…”

Perhaps because Selberion’s body is small, it doesn’t realize I’ve come right beneath it. 

The creature continues to roar toward the heart of Seoul.

If I had a skill like “Killing Intent Release,” I wouldn’t need to take specific actions to draw the enemy’s attention, but wishing for more skills at this point would be greedy.

Sigh

Pushing aside my regret, I swing my sword fiercely toward the Dark Wyvern. 

Just like with the troll earlier, the greatsword-form “Chains of Death and Frost” shoots toward the creature at a vicious speed.

Whoosh—

The crimson greatsword slices through the air with a sharp sound. 

No matter how fast the Dark Wyvern is, dodging this seems impossible.

A direct hit would likely mean instant death, or at least critical damage, but unfortunately, my target this time wasn’t the Dark Wyvern itself.

…What I aimed for was not the creature’s body, but the steel frame of the apartment it was perched on.

KABOOM!

With a deafening crash, the Chains of Death and Frost shatter the steel frame into pieces. 

With its footing suddenly gone, the Dark Wyvern flails in panic and hastily takes to the sky.

—Kieeeeeeeek?!

The monster, despite being a monster, shows clear signs of panic as it turns its head toward the direction the greatsword came from— where I stand boldly on the sandy ground of the construction site.

—Kieeeeeeeeeeeeeen!!

How dare someone attack it so brazenly?

The Dark Wyvern roars at me with fury-filled eyes. 

Watching it, I curl my lips into a smirk.

“Good…”

I’ve successfully drawn its attention.

What would be the point of killing it with a sneak attack? 

What I want is to adapt to Selberion’s body— to experience a proper battle.

—Kyaaaaaaaaaaak!!

“…”

The wyvern bares its sharp fangs at me. 

The stage is set. I exhale deeply and mentally prepare myself for “combat.”

…Immediately, five holographic screens appear before my eyes.

[Passive: “Blessing of the Ice Spirit” has been activated.]

[Passive: “Piercing Frost” has been activated.]

[Passive: “Snow Veil” has been activated.]

[Passive: “Endless Cold” has been activated.]

[Passive: “Ashen Frost” has been activated.]

“…”

The notification screens confirm that all passives have successfully activated as the real battle begins. 

And almost instantly, significant changes occur in my surroundings and vision.

The first change is the appearance of two magic circles on either side of me, from which massive ice golems rise.

—Grooooooaaar!!

“Ice spirits…”

Two ice spirits summoned by Selberion’s first passive, “Blessing of the Ice Spirit.” 

Their forms change each time they’re summoned, and this time, they’ve taken the shape of hulking golems.

Their bodies, encased in thick ice, suggest immense strength and formidable defense.

I can now understand the frustration of players who had to face not only Selberion but also these towering ice spirits.

…The next change occurs above the Dark Wyvern’s head as it hovers in the air. 

Tiny letters crawl into place, forming a status screen.

[Dark Wyvern]

Level: 1480

Attribute: Dark

Status Effects: None

“Level 1480…”

Thanks to the activation of Piercing Frost, I could now see through the previously hidden information of the Dark Wyvern. 

If this were a PVP situation rather than PVE, I could have peeked at the enemy’s class, identified disguised healers hiding among them, and taken them out first. 

Truly, this passive skill was incredibly useful.

“…Snow Veil.”

A thin blue barrier formed in front of me as the effect of Snow Veil activated. 

The probability of Selberion being affected by a status ailment was already a mere 0.8%, but even that was periodically nullified by Snow Veil, effectively reducing the chance to 0%.

…The final passive to manifest was none other than Ashen Snowfall, the highlight of Selberion’s passives— a notorious ability that had brought players to their knees in despair.

Kugugung.

As if responding to my anticipation, ominous dark clouds began gathering above the reconstruction site. 

From within them, something gray began to scatter.

At a glance, it looked like sleet, but this was neither the exhilarating first snow of winter nor the romantic snowfall of Christmas.

This was Selberion’s Ashen Snowfall— a torment that gnawed at flesh, a nightmare that forced all to kneel, the most vicious and dreaded ash.

“…Pretty.”

I caught the falling ashen snow in my palm and murmured. 

Perhaps I was the only one in this world who could find this gray snowfall romantic.

“Good.”

The stage was set.

I had successfully drawn the enemy’s attention, and all passives were now fully active. 

The only thing left was to use my skills and cut off the Dark Wyvern’s breath.

“……”

The anticipation and excitement of wielding Selberion’s skills— December’s stage boss — myself in battle.

Facing a sub-boss-level monster, I wasn’t tense at all. 

Instead, a smile crept onto my face— an absurd situation no ordinary player could even imagine.

Against my will, the corners of my lips curled up, and my heart pounded as if it might burst. 

Adrenaline surged through my body, doping my mind.

“…Not bad.”

Smiling at this indescribable emotion, I reached my hand toward the Dark Wyvern and quietly whispered the name of my first skill.

“…Ice Blade.”

…A massive blue magic circle unfolded before me.

02.

“Ah.”

The moment the one-eyed giant, Cyclops, struck his side with its iron mace, Kim Dongwook— known by his nickname Shinsadong Masochist— realized once again that this was no game.

…The sensations were incomparably more vivid than in virtual reality, the brutal pain spreading heavily through his body, and even the single tear welling up in the corner of his eye.

The fear that he could genuinely die made Dongwook’s legs tremble uncontrollably.

I should’ve just stayed home… I should’ve waited and observed the situation longer. 

What kind of sense of duty or stubbornness had driven him, a player with a not-so-high level, to rush outside in the first place? 

Deep regret welled up from the pit of his stomach.

“Dongwook!!”

Meanwhile, his college friend and fellow player, Yoon Jia— a Priest— called out to him in concern as he was sent flying several meters back by the Cyclops’ mace.

“Ugh…”

It hurt, but not enough to keep him down. 

Hearing Jia’s voice, Dongwook used his shield like a cane to push himself back up and steadied his stance.

“I-I’m… fine…”

He waved weakly at Jia, who was fidgeting anxiously. 

Though it hurt, Dongwook’s class was ‘Holy Guardian Knight’, a tank specialized in defense with all stats allocated to endurance. 

There was no way he’d go down from just this.

—Grrroooaaarr!!

“…”

The Cyclops roared at him as he stood back up. Just as Dongwook was exhausted, the monster seemed worn out too. 

How many dozens of minutes had they spent just trying to take down this single B-rank monster? 

A thick drop of sweat rolled down Dongwook’s chin.

“Dammit…”

Dongwook grimaced.

The Cyclops was an 850-level B-rank monster. 

Its high HP and defenses were annoying, but there was no reason Dongwook’s three-man party— averaging level 800— shouldn’t have been able to defeat it.

Dongwook had known that too, charging into the raid with confidence. 

But all his expectations of an easy victory had been shattered, and the battle had dragged on for over thirty minutes.

“Ugh, uh, ugh, uh, Mom…”

“Damn it, seriously…”

…And the biggest reason the battle dragged on was because Park Sanghyuk, the sole damage dealer in Dongwook’s three-man party, had fallen into extreme panic the moment the raid began.

“Ugh, ugh, no… I don’t want to…”

“…”

Sanghyuk, terrified by the Cyclops’s roar, had become completely unresponsive, rendered combat-incapable by fear. 

That left only the healer, Jia, and the tank, Dongwook himself— unfortunately, neither of them had a single offensive skill between them.

Jia’s class, “Priest,” had only healing and buff-related skills.

And Dongwook’s own class, “Holy Shield Knight,” was the only tanking class in Season Off Fantasy with purely defensive skills.

With Sanghyuk— their burst-type fire mage and main damage dealer— out of commission, the only means Jia and Dongwook had to deal damage to the Cyclops was their pitifully weak basic attacks.

Because of this, what should have been a five-minute battle stretched past thirty minutes, and now their stamina and MP were nearing their limits.

“Park Sanghyuk, you damn troll! Snap out of it!”

“Ugh, ugh, ugh…”

…Dongwook gritted his teeth and tried calling out to Sanghyuk again, but the latter only curled up further, trembling violently. 

The fearless mage who burned everything in the game was nowhere to be seen.

“Damn it, seriously…”

He briefly considered running away, but the neighborhood where Dongwook, Jia, and Sanghyuk lived was a poor area mostly inhabited by socially vulnerable groups.

It would take a long time for soldiers or other players to come to this shabby, poverty-stricken corner of the city, so until then, they— likely the only players in the area— had to defend it themselves.

—Grrrrrrrrrr…

“Dammit…”

At this point, they had no choice but to fight without Sanghyuk. 

They were exhausted, but after thirty minutes of steadily chipping away at its health, the Cyclops was surely nearing its limit too.

Just a little more. 

Just a little more endurance.

“Yoon Jia! Give me an attack buff!”

“Got it! Song of the Blade!”

At his request, Jia cast an attack-boosting buff on him. 

A red aura began swirling around Dongwook’s body, and he felt power surging through him compared to before.

—Graaaaaaah!!

Thud.

As if sensing this would be the final battle, the Cyclops slammed its mace into the ground and let out a deafening roar.

“Ugh, aaaaaaaah!!”

“B-Bang Sanghyuk?! Don’t run, you bastard!!”

…And with that roar, the last thread of Sanghyuk’s courage snapped. 

Tears streaming down his face, he bolted down the alley and disappeared from sight.

“Y-You damn troll bastard!! Don’t run!!”

Dongwook tried to grab him, but Sanghyuk was already sprinting at full speed, vanishing into the distance.

…Now, only Dongwook and Jia remained.

“Damn it…”

Sanghyuk had been useless anyway. 

Suppressing his boiling rage, Dongwook turned his attention back to the Cyclops.

“We’re ending this now…”

Gritting his teeth, he prepared to charge. 

If the battle dragged on any longer without rest, they’d inevitably lose once their MP ran out. 

This next attack had to decide everything.

“Here I goooooo!!”

Dongwook kicked off the ground and sprinted toward the Cyclops. 

His target was its weak point— its single eye— where a high critical hit chance could finish it in one blow.

With the attack buff active, a direct hit would surely take it down.

—Graaaaaaah!!

“Ugh!!”

…The mace swung toward him. 

But trusting in his “Holy Shield Knight” defense, Dongwook took the hit head-on, never breaking his stride.

—G-graaah?!

The Cyclops staggered in shock as Dongwook kept charging despite the direct hit to his side. 

It hurriedly tried to swing its mace again, but maces had a long wind-up time.

Dongwook, never slowing down, had more than enough time to strike.

“Dieeeeeee!!”

Leaping high, Dongwook brought his massive steel shield down with both hands, smashing it into the Cyclops’s eye.

—G-graaaaaaaaaaah!!

A scream of agony followed. 

The Cyclops dropped its mace, clutched its face, then staggered and collapsed.

Thud.

“Pant, pant…”

Dongwook stared at the fallen giant’s corpse, gasping for breath. 

He dropped his shield and slumped to the ground, struggling to steady his breathing.

“D-Dongwook!!”

“Jia…”

…As Jia rushed toward him, Dongwook forced a bitter smile and flashed a shaky V-sign with his fingers.

“…We won.”

This was truly the most exhausting and draining battle of Dongwook’s entire life, including all the fights he’d experienced in virtual reality.

And the cause of it all was, of course, the troll among trolls, Park Sanghyuk, who had fled mid-battle.

Dongwook didn’t know where he had run off to, but he vowed to beat the living daylights out of him if they ever crossed paths again.

“You did well. Here, drink some water.”

“…Thanks.”

As the grueling battle came to an end, Jia smiled brightly and handed Dongwook a bottle of water she had pulled from her bag.

“…”

Dongwook gulped down the water, feeling the vivid reality of his survival— his triumphant victory in the first battle of this unprecedented catastrophe.

“Phew…”

But it wasn’t over yet.

While the number of monsters roaming this neighborhood was relatively low compared to other areas, countless aberrations still lurked, waiting for the chance to attack ordinary people.

…There was no time to rest. Even though their damage dealer, Sanghyuk, had deserted, Dongwook and Jia alone were still capable of handling C-rank monsters.

But if they encountered another B-rank monster…

…He didn’t even want to think about it.

“…Let’s head that way this time.”

“Okay.”

Dongwook stood up and spoke to Jia, who, despite looking visibly exhausted, didn’t suggest taking a longer break. 

She probably knew that she was the only one left who could protect this neighborhood.

“Tell me if it’s too much. We can always hide inside if needed.”

“Yeah, got it.”

Jia nodded at Dongwook’s words, and after defeating the Cyclops, they began moving again.

…It was then that an ear-splitting screech tore through the sky.

—Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

“W-what is that?!”

“A Dark Wyvern…?”

A massive Dark Wyvern had suddenly appeared, soaring through the skies above the neighborhood. 

The sheer menace and overwhelming power of that infamous A+-rank monster left Dongwook and Jia frozen in place.

—Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

“……”

The Dark Wyvern perched on a towering steel beam at a nearby apartment construction site and let out another bone-chilling roar.

Its presence alone was enough to make one’s legs tremble. 

Since Dongwook and Jia, still under level 1000, had never faced such a notorious monster before, it felt even more terrifying.

“Wh-what do we do?!”

“Dammit…”

Jia’s voice was laced with panic at the sudden appearance of the calamity-level monster. Dongwook, too, sank deep into thought.

…Under normal circumstances, they would’ve rushed to the construction site to slay it. 

But what stood before Dongwook’s eyes now was a Dark Wyvern— something incomparably stronger than a mere Cyclops.

Without a proper damage dealer, charging in now would be nothing more than a meaningless death.

But leaving it alone meant the entire neighborhood would be reduced to ruins. He couldn’t figure out what to do.

“L-let’s at least evacuate the people nearby first…”

Dongwook told Jia they should prioritize evacuating the civilians.

From what he remembered, there was a rundown orphanage right next to the construction site. 

Given its proximity, the orphanage would be the wyvern’s first target. 

Even if they couldn’t defeat it, they had to at least get the children to safety.

“…Okay. Let’s evacuate the people first.”

Jia nodded in agreement. With their decision made, the two sprinted toward the construction site even faster than before.

“Just a little, just a little faster—…?!”

BOOM!

…Just as they were pushing themselves to their limits, another deafening noise erupted from the construction site.

“The steel beam— it collapsed…?”

When Dongwook turned his head in a panic, he saw the wyvern’s perch— the steel beam— shattering into pieces as if someone had attacked it.

—Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

The wyvern shrieked in fury at the assault, and above its head, ominous dark clouds began swirling unnaturally. 

The way the clouds moved made it clear they weren’t natural— they seemed artificially conjured, as if by a mage casting a spell.

“Is someone fighting it…?”

“There’s another Siovan player in this neighborhood besides us?!”

…Dongwook and Jia exchanged glances and muttered. 

Only a Siovan player who had undergone the transformation process could blast apart steel beams and summon dark clouds like this.

No— only a Siovan player could do this.

So that meant another player was trying to take down the Dark Wyvern. 

But what level were they to recklessly attack an A+-rank monster like this?

Were they part of a guild?

Or maybe a high-ranking player who just happened to live nearby?

…Or was it Sanghyuk, who had completely lost his mind?

“Dammit…”

Dongwook couldn’t be sure of anything right now, but there was one thing he knew for certain.

…Whether their goal was evacuating civilians or aiding whoever was fighting, they had to get to that construction site— where the Dark Wyvern was wreaking havoc— as fast as possible.