The daggers cut through the cold air, spinning rapidly as they closed the distance.
But Kang-suho didn't stop there.
The moment they left his hands, he dashed forward, pushing his body despite the pain still lingering in his side. Each step was forced, his muscles protesting, but he ignored it completely. His eyes remained fixed on the flying blades.
He reached them just in time.
Grabbing both hilts mid-motion, he used their momentum to drive himself forward. Without breaking stride, he thrust both daggers directly into the polar bear's neck. The impact was clean and deep, the black glow flaring slightly as the blades sank in.
"ARRRHHHHAAA!" the polar bear screamed, its voice tearing through the forest.
Kang-suho stepped back quickly, creating distance as he watched the result of his attack. The massive creature staggered, its strength finally giving out as it collapsed heavily onto the snow. The ground trembled slightly beneath its weight.
"Bear!" Kang-suho shouted, his voice sharp and commanding.
"Bite down," he continued, lowering his tone as his eyes remained locked on the fallen enemy.
The summoned bear responded instantly.
It rushed forward without hesitation, its massive frame closing the distance in seconds. Opening its jaws wide, it bit down hard on the other bear's neck. The sound was heavy and brutal, followed immediately by another agonized scream.
The pressure increased.
The harder the summoned bear bit, the louder the screams became. Its jaws tightened relentlessly, refusing to let go. The struggle lasted only a few seconds, but it felt longer in the silence of the forest.
Then—
With a violent pull, the summoned bear tore a chunk of flesh from the polar bear's neck. Blood burst out from the wound, spraying across the snow and splashing onto Kang-suho's cheek. The red stood out sharply against the pale surroundings.
But Kang-suho didn't react.
He simply wiped nothing away, his expression remaining calm, almost detached. His focus wasn't on the brutality—it was on what came next. Slowly, he lifted his hand and gave a small signal.
The summoned bear obeyed.
It stepped back and moved toward him, its jaws still stained with fresh blood. Its presence remained steady, waiting for the next command without question. The contrast between its earlier violence and current obedience was almost unsettling.
Behind Kang-suho, the portal loomed in the distance.
Its blue color pulsed faintly, mixed with a white, unmistakeable glow, casting an ominous light across the forest. The chains wrapped tightly around its frame, unmoving, as if sealing something far more dangerous within. Even from afar, it felt heavy—like it was watching him.
From afar, the red crystal Kang-suho had noticed earlier began to behave strangely. A thick, viscous red liquid slowly dripped from its surface, falling onto the snow in uneven drops. The glow it gave off flickered, unstable, as if something beneath it was shifting. Kang-suho glanced at it briefly but didn't slow down much. To him, it was still just another red crystal—nothing more.
As he walked, the red coating on the crystal continued to slide off in silence. It peeled away unnaturally, like a thin layer that had been covering something else. Beneath it, a different color slowly revealed itself, glowing more intensely than before..
..Orange
But Kang-suho never turned back to look. He had already moved on, unaware of what it had truly become.
The cold began to take its toll as he continued forward. The wind grew sharper, cutting through his clothes with ease, while the snow piled lightly on his shoulders. His breath came out in visible puffs, each one carried away by the freezing air. His body shivered slightly, the chill creeping deeper with every passing second.
"Brr! I wish I brought a jacket!" he complained, rubbing his arms for warmth.
Even as he said it, he knew it wouldn't change anything. This place wasn't something he had prepared for, and there was no turning back now. The only option was to keep moving forward. So he pushed on, enduring the cold as best as he could.
Eventually, something caught his attention in the distance.
At first, it was just a faint shape through the falling snow. But as he kept moving, the outline became clearer, larger, more defined. It stood out against the white landscape, unmoving and imposing.
A castle.
Or rather, what was left of one.
Kang-suho slowed slightly, staring at the broken structure from afar. Its walls were cracked and partially collapsed, and its towers stood unevenly, as if barely holding themselves together. It looked ancient, abandoned, and yet… something about it felt off.
The wind howled again, snapping his focus back.
He shivered as the cold bit into his skin once more, harsher than before. His hair whipped wildly in the wind, strands beginning to stiffen as frost slowly formed. His white buttoned polo flapped violently, offering little to no protection. The environment was no longer just uncomfortable—it was draining him.
His eyes shifted toward his summoned bear.
The creature stood beside him, calm and unaffected by the freezing conditions. Its cosmic fur flowed gently, almost ignoring the harsh wind around them. It didn't react when Kang-suho stepped closer, remaining still and obedient as always.
That's when an idea came to him.
He moved closer without hesitation.
Carefully, he climbed onto its back, gripping its thick fur as he pulled himself up. The texture felt soft, yet carried a faint energy beneath it. Once he settled into place, his body adjusted quickly to the new position.
Then he felt it.
Warmth.
A steady heat spread through him, pushing back against the cold that had been creeping into his body. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was enough to make a difference. Kang-suho let out a small breath, a faint smile forming for just a moment.
Then his expression turned serious again.
"Bear! Go forward!" he shouted firmly.
The summoned bear moved instantly.
It charged forward, its massive body cutting through the snow with surprising speed. The wind rushed past Kang-suho as they moved, the distance between them and the ruined castle slowly closing. The environment blurred slightly with the motion, but his focus remained sharp.
Then—
A familiar shing rang in his ear.
A translucent screen appeared in front of his face, glowing faintly against the cold surroundings. Kang-suho's eyes flicked toward it immediately, already recognizing the system's presence. The text settled clearly in front of him.
[Mana: 37.6/200!]
[Four minutes passed, you only have 1 hour and 6 minutes left before mana deplets to 0.04!]