Kang-suho looked at the option infront of him, his brows furrowing as he tried to understand it. His mind raced, trying to connect this to anything he had experienced before. Nothing made sense, yet the choice felt important. He hesitated, staring at the floating words for a moment longer.
"Yes!" The words echoed around him.
Then, the massive polar bear infront of him started disintegrating, its body breaking apart into faint particles of light. The process was slow enough for him to see it vanish piece by piece, yet fast enough to feel unnatural. Within seconds, there was nothing left of the bear. Only its blood remained on the snow-infested ground, staining it a deep red.
[Successfully devoured creature]
—Info—
[Species: Gigantic Polar Bear]
[Strength: 5/10]
[Attack Power: 5/10]
[Stamina: 5/10]
—Magic info—
[Magic Power: None]
[Mana: None]
[Magic Skills: None]
Kang-suho stared at the information infront of him, his eyes scanning every line carefully. It felt too detailed, too precise to be something random. The way it broke down the creature into numbers made it seem almost like a game. But this wasn't a game, and he knew that. That only made it more unsettling.
[Would you like to implement its stats to yourself?]
[Warning! Once implemented, you can't devour any other creatures for 5 hours!]
Kang-suho looked at the numerous text infront of him, his gaze slowly dropping to the warning at the bottom. A restriction like that meant this ability wasn't something he could use carelessly. He hesitated, uncertainty creeping into his expression. But at the same time, he knew he needed power if he wanted to survive.
"Y..es? I would like to implement its stats?" he stuttered.
Then, a bright light shined around his body, forcing him to squint slightly. The energy wrapped around him, sinking into his muscles and bones like it was becoming part of him. It felt heavy, yet stabilizing, like something was reinforcing his entire body from within. The sensation lingered for a few seconds before fading away.
[Stats of Gigantic Polar Bear successfully implemented]
—Users info—
[Species: Human]
[Strength: 12/15 + 5]
[Attack Power: 25/60 + 5]
[Stamina: 20/60 + 5]
—Magic stats—
[Magic Power: 50/200 No Buffs]
[Mana: 50/200 No Buffs]
—Magic Skills—
[Light Dagger - 5 mana per use]
[Light Reflection - 15 mana per use]
[Light Bend - 10 mana per use]
[Light Ricochet: 30 mana per use]
Kang-suho slowly lowered his arms, his body feeling…
..different
There was a subtle weight to his movements now, like his strength had increased without him fully adjusting to it yet. He clenched his fist, feeling the difference immediately, even if it wasn't overwhelming. His breathing steadied as he tried to process everything that just happened. And in front of him, the window still lingered, waiting.
A low, rumbling growl echoed from behind Kang-suho, deep enough to make the air vibrate. It wasn't subtle, nor was it distant, yet he didn't react at all. His thoughts were still tangled around the system, the buff, and the strange power now flowing through his body. For a brief moment, the world around him faded into the background. It wasn't until the sound grew louder that reality began to creep back in.
The source revealed itself soon enough.
Another massive polar bear stepped out from between the snow-covered trees, its size just as overwhelming as the one before. But this time, it wasn't alone. A pack of wolves stood beside it, their eyes sharp and focused, bodies tense as if awaiting a command.
They didn't growl wildly or act on impulse—they waited, disciplined and eerily obedient.
The polar bear lowered its head slightly, its gaze locking onto Kang-suho.
That was all it took.
One wolf broke formation and charged forward, its body cutting through the snow with frightening speed. It leaped toward Kang-suho, jaws open and ready to tear into him. And yet, Kang-suho didn't move. He stood completely still, his eyes barely shifting toward the incoming threat.
Only at the last possible moment did he act.
He sidestepped smoothly, the wolf missing him by inches as it flew past. In the same motion, he summoned a light dagger into his hand. The blade formed instantly, glowing faintly as he drove it forward without hesitation. It pierced cleanly through the wolf's head.
The creature let out a strained, broken sound.
Its body twitched, squirming weakly as its momentum carried it forward. Then, just as quickly, it went still. Kang-suho pulled the dagger free, letting the lifeless body fall into the snow without another glance. There was no hesitation in his movement, no lingering emotion.
He lifted his gaze.
The polar bear and the remaining wolves stood before him, unmoving for a brief second. Then the bear let out a thunderous roar, the sound echoing throughout the forest like a signal. It wasn't just anger—it was a command.
The wolves responded instantly.
They all charged at once.
Kang-suho summoned his other dagger, gripping both weapons tightly as he prepared himself. The wolves didn't rush him in a straight line—they spread out, circling, leaping, closing in from multiple directions. Their coordination made them far more dangerous than the lone attacker before.
The first wolf reached him.
He stepped forward instead of back.
Both daggers struck at the same time, piercing through its skull with brutal precision. Before its body even hit the ground, Kang-suho was already moving. He slashed to his side, cutting into another wolf, then twisted his body to strike the one behind him.
His movements flowed into each other without pause.
He spun, his blades cutting through the air in a wide arc. Two wolves fell. Then three more. Then another. Snow was kicked up around him, mixing with blood as the fight turned into a chaotic blur of motion and violence.
The pack's numbers dropped rapidly.
One lunged—he punched it midair, sending it crashing into the ground before finishing it with a quick stab. Another tried to flank him—he turned, slashing it down without even looking directly at it. Each movement was sharp, efficient, almost mechanical.
Until only one remained.
The final wolf stood in front of him, its legs trembling as it struggled to stay upright. Its earlier aggression was gone, replaced by hesitation. It didn't move forward, didn't retreat—it just stood there, caught between fear and instinct.
Then the polar bear moved.
With a sudden, crushing force, it brought its massive paw down on the wolf. The impact was immediate and brutal, ending the creature instantly. The snow beneath them cracked slightly from the weight of the strike.
Silence followed.
The bear slowly lifted its paw, looking down at the blood staining its fur. There was no hesitation in its action, no sign of regret or confusion. It didn't care that it had just killed its own ally.
Kang-suho tilted his head slightly, watching the scene unfold.
"Weird… why did you kill the wolf?" he chuckled, though his tone held more curiosity than amusement.
His grip on his daggers remained firm, his body relaxed but ready. He didn't take his eyes off the massive creature in front of him.
The polar bear responded with a low growl.
The sound was deeper this time, heavier, carrying a different kind of intent. It wasn't just anger—it felt more focused, more directed. The air between them grew tense once again.
Kang-suho didn't move.
Then a sharp shing rang in his ear.
A familiar translucent window appeared before him, cutting through the tension of the moment. The glowing text hovered in front of his eyes, clear and unmistakable. Even in the face of danger, it demanded his attention.
[Would you like to summon the Gigantic Polar Bear?]
[Warning! Summoning it decreases your mana by 0.6% per minute of use]
"Huh?" Kang-suho reacted, his brows knitting together as he stared at the floating text in front of him.
Nothing about this felt normal anymore, and yet the system kept throwing more at him without pause. He let out a quiet sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as if that would somehow help him process everything.
"Why are there so many surprises here today…" he muttered under his breath. Despite the confusion, he didn't hesitate for long.
"Yes!" The word left his mouth, echoing faintly in the cold air.