"..."
It was past midnight.
"Yawn."
Thomas, the guard patrolling the high outer wall of the mansion, let out a long yawn.
Patrolling the outer wall, where not even a lost cat dared to wander—not to mention intruders—was an endlessly boring routine for him.
No one in their right mind would try to break into the Dreadnote Family mansion, tasked with defending the North from the barbarians.
"Damn it. How much longer until the shift change?"
Muttering complaints while shaking his lantern, his gaze absentmindedly drifted toward the garden by the annex.
The usual scene under the moonlight, with tree shadows stretching long.
"...Huh?"
Thomas narrowed his eyes without realizing it.
The edge of the darkest tree shadow near the mansion's outer wall had seemed to twitch for a moment.
A bizarre movement, clearly different from branches swaying in the wind.
"What was that just now...?"
Sleep fled him in an instant.
It was unlikely, but he had to consider the possibility.
If an intruder appeared, even by some slim chance, he needed to alert his comrades immediately.
Thomas gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist tightly and stared at the spot.
An intruder? Or a magic beast?
Either one was the worst-case scenario for him.
His heart pounded wildly with tension.
He stared piercingly at the tree where the odd movement had occurred, but as time passed, the shadow remained perfectly still.
On a windless night, as if telling him he'd imagined it.
Everything was frozen in place.
"..."
As his breathing gradually calmed, he watched for a while longer but detected no anomalies.
"...Haa. Did I just see things because I'm tired?"
Thomas rubbed his sore eyes and shook his head.
It must be from lack of sleep these past few days.
A shadow coming alive? Ridiculous.
If his comrades had seen him react like that, they'd tease him as a coward for a month.
"Tch."
As if to hide his embarrassment, he clicked his tongue shortly and resumed walking.
Only silent stillness remained where the shadow had rippled.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Phew."
Leaning against a shadow outside the outer wall, I caught my breath.
"Thought I was done for sure."
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
After planning it out, I'd waited days to ensure no mistakes in the operation.
I'd run dozens of simulations in my head: their patrol routes, shift times.
Even the blind spots out of their line of sight—all calculated perfectly.
The dizzying moment when the guard passing overhead just before my final leap looked exactly my way.
One guard unexpectedly turning his head nearly ruined everything.
If my fear had made me move even a little.
Or if I'd triggered Shadow Step just 0.5 seconds later.
I would've been spotted.
'Real combat is different, after all.'
It was precarious, but I'd succeeded.
Feeling my still-racing heart slowly calm, I headed for the forest without looking back.
Cleaving through the cold night air, I walked until the lights illuminating the surroundings vanished from sight.
Before me loomed the entrance to a massive forest emanating a chilling aura.
In the dense undergrowth where even moonlight barely penetrated the darkness.
Twisted trees stretched toward the sky like the arms of the dead.
That eerie sight seemed to whisper to me, 'Enter, and you'll die.'
A place I'd never approach normally, but now I had no choice.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡Curtain of Fear
Low mana consumption. Fear-infused shadows envelop the area.
Just before entering the forest.
I squeezed out my remaining mana to activate the new ability I'd gained.
I felt an invisible chilling energy spread outward from me like ripples.
A sensation like a thin, cool veil wrapping around me.
Having used Shadow Step repeatedly, I'd worried about mana shortage.
Fortunately, the consumption was minimal enough for my scant reserves.
'No issue using it, but... does it actually work?'
A lingering unease about whether it'd affect magic beasts, but thankfully.
"...Grrr."
One step past the boundary line separating Darkfrost Forest from the outside.
The moment I stepped in, the gleaming eyes in the darkness vanished.
At the same time, the rustling in the underbrush quieted.
"Good."
Better than expected.
This should let me avoid clashes with magic beasts.
With a sigh of relief, using the game's map etched in my mind as a compass.
Relying on the faint moonlight, I ventured deeper.
"Grrr."
"Shoo, shoo. Go on, you little bastard."
About an hour in.
Thanks to the ability, they didn't approach, but I waved off the magic beasts circling at a distance for a bit.
"It has to be around here somewhere."
After scanning around, I spotted a massive oak tree.
"Ah, there it is!"
If my memory served.
This was definitely the spot where the artifact was hidden in the game.
My heart raced with relief.
Gripping the wooden sword I'd brought, I cautiously approached the roots.
Whoosh!
Pushing aside vines and undergrowth revealed a dark cave barely wide enough for one adult.
The moment I saw it, instinct told me.
It's in there.
The Warrior's Ring I sought was surely inside.
Without hesitation, I ducked in.
As I shoved aside the covering vines, a damp, musty earth smell assaulted my nose.
Pitch black inside, impossible to see ahead.
But faint light leaked from the deepest part.
I followed it carefully.
And at the cave's end, atop a glowing moss pile, I found it.
A plain, worn steel ring without adornment.
To an outsider, it'd look like cheap junk, utterly crude.
But I knew. I felt it.
The power emanating from that ring was extraordinary.
"Warrior's Ring..."
My heart pounded fiercely.
With this, even this hopeless trash body could be vastly strengthened.
I swallowed dryly and reached out.
The instant my finger was about to touch it.
Clang.
A sharp metallic sound rang from behind, at the cave entrance.
Eerily familiar. The sound of a sword drawn from its sheath.
'...!'
Blood turned to ice in my veins.
Spotted?
No, since when? How?
Worst-case scenarios flashed through my mind in an instant.
My heart surged to my throat, but instinctively, I froze in place, not twitching a muscle.
Any rash movement now meant death.
I quickly pocketed the ring and focused all senses on the entrance.
Maybe some magic beast I didn't know? Holding my breath, I watched for reaction.
No beastly howls came.
Instead, human-like sounds: steady footsteps, sword dragging on the ground.
'Definitely human. Why here?'
As I stared tensely at the entrance.
A gruff voice came from beyond the covering vines.
"Damn it, what artifact would be in a place like this?"
A young but seasoned man's rough, low voice.
Laden with irritation.
Hearing that, I realized.
My hiding spot hadn't been discovered yet.
Relief washed over me, but I couldn't relax.
The voice's owner was clearly searching nearby.
And that something was very likely the Warrior's Ring now in my hand.
"Stop whining, Tundra. A warrior without pride is like melted snow."
The next voice was deeper, calmer.
Rebuking the first speaker, like an elder.
'Barbarians.'
From the Frost Giant Tribe, enemies of the Dreadnote Family in the North.
...This is insane.
I don't know how, but.
They were definitely barbarians who'd crossed into Dreadnote territory.
But how?
Per the original story, they shouldn't invade en masse across the border yet.
'...Did something change without me knowing?'