As I stepped through the rift, the forest shifted around me.
This was Count Oscura's domain—a bleak expanse where corrupted earth merged with a dense Russian snow forest, as though two distinct worlds had been stitched together in halves.
…Not that I cared about the view.
Damn it. How is it even colder here?!
Perhaps because the trees had rotted away, the biting wind felt like a direct slap to my face.
"!"
Yet, kindly enough—or perhaps just to keep me from freezing to death—something forced my body into motion immediately.
"Awoooo!!!"
Bloody Wolf (Lv.230)
A wolf infected by Count Oscura's blood.
True to its level, it moved far faster than a gnoll, despite their similar appearance.
However, having been corrupted by vampire blood, it was now classified as 'demonkind'.
Skill 'Natural Enemy' activated.
You're not the only fast one.
Lightly side-stepping the wolf's strike, I recalled the quest objective.
Announce that the hunt has begun.
Hunting a single demon would fulfill the condition.
Without a moment's hesitation, I spun around and swept my blade across the wolf as it lunged past me.
Naturally, my weapon was a silver dagger.
Swish—
"Grrr!"
The sharp blade sliced deep into its rear thigh.
Dark blood spurted from the wound, but unlike the imp that had screamed its head off in pain, this beast barely flinched.
It wasn't just a difference in levels.
The wolf was 20 levels higher than the imp, but my own level had risen by 12.
Factoring in the bonus stats from my class quest, that blow should have dealt devastating damage.
Sure enough, the wolf dragged its hind leg.
Even so, it continued to bare its teeth…
I realized why.
"A pitiable choice—you have pledged loyalty to the wrong master."
It was probably driven by loyalty toward Count Oscura.
Of course, that was just figurative.
The beast hadn't consciously chosen to be loyal to Count Oscura—it was simply what vampire blood did to creatures in Arcana.
"I despise vampires. They are despicable creatures. Despite being demons, they have a strong desire to rule over packs—corrupting targets with blood to force them into servitude. They despise humans, yet yearn to live like them."
Recalling a conversation with an NPC in Akshan, I added some words of my own.
"How foolish. Just like a demon."
Count Oscura.
A vampire who saw half the truth, yet remained blind to the whole!
True nobility was not defined by the reverence of others or the ownership of a massive fortress.
Above all, one had to possess pride in one's heart.
A noble pride that remained unshaken under any circumstances.
A dignity that did not bend, even when getting one's hands dirty.
An imposing stance undeterred by aching muscles.
And the absolute, unyielding stubbornness to never wear a padded jacket, even while freezing to death.
Just like a certain someone I knew all too well.
Swish—
The fight didn't last long.
Even while I was inwardly mocking both Count Oscura and Grandfel, my judgment remained colder and sharper than ever.
"I despise your kind."
Level up.
Level up.
Level up.
.
.
.
Having gained 5 levels, I reached Level 72.
I could already feel the steep spike in experience required for the next level.
The quest window flashed in front of me.
─Hunt the Vampire. (In Progress) ▲
●Announce that the hunt has begun. (Success)
●Instill the terror of being hunted. (In Progress)
The moment the first objective cleared, the next immediately took its place.
Truly fitting for a class quest.
Anyone who isn't a Demon Hunter wouldn't even get it. Instill terror into demons? They'd write off an objective like that as just nonsense.
But I knew better.
I was not called the last Demon Hunter for nothing.
"The single greatest key to human survival has always been fear. Because we could feel fear, we could avoid enemies stronger than ourselves. That is how mankind survived."
It was the core doctrine the Akshan NPCs endlessly preached during quests.
"Yet when standing before a demon, humans cannot utilize the emotion of fear that enables survival."
Back then, I had no idea what the hell they were talking about.
"Therefore, to hunt demons, you must overcome fear. Furthermore, you must turn that fear back upon them—the terror of knowing that, at this very moment, they are the ones being hunted!"
After that lesson, vicious quests followed.
They were tests of courage so brutal that I still wonder how I managed to clear them.
Countless players gave up on the class right there.
Of course, back then, I was an edgelord with nothing to fear.
Which meant I passed the training with flying colors.
Thwack—!
Right.
The reason my body was trembling had nothing to do with the demonic beast in front of me.
Sniffle.
It was the bitter cold of the Siberian High…
* * *
And that brought me to the present.
I was enjoying tea time.
The reason I said I didn't need a teacup earlier was that I could create one.
By examining and interfering with the scattered rocks on the ground, I used them as raw material to manifest a cup.
This, too, was a form of 『Magic』 I had comprehended after watching NetTube.
To be precise, it was originally an [Alchemy] skill.
But just as I had done with 'Ignite', I had converted it into pure magic by borrowing Grandfel's extraordinary brain.
To think I had spent days racking my brain just to make a teacup and boil water…
Considering how much time I had invested, it felt like an extremely trivial application.
But it didn't matter.
In this freezing hell, that tiny bit of warmth was far too precious.
* * *
"I have no tea to offer unto you."
…What? I wouldn't drink it even if you gave it to me!
Leonie whispered in dead seriousness.
"…Is he a NetTuber?"
The guild members shook their heads.
"A high-profile rookie? A Supernova?"
They exchanged glances and shook their heads again.
"Then what is he? He's definitely not a ranker."
Leonie scowled.
She had completely missed the mark.
But this wasn't due to her dull instincts.
Who could have guessed that the person making an entire pack of wolves howl in agony was just a solo player?
One with bizarre attire, no less.
Leonie looked down at her own gear.
No matter how low-level the rift was, wearing proper gear was standard practice.
Especially in a rift crawling with demonkind—at minimum, you equipped one accessory for status effect resistance.
And yet…
A suit? And dress shoes?!
As if that wasn't enough, that man was holding a teacup.
He gripped it with absolute resolve, unwilling to part with it under any circumstances.
"Fuck, this is ridiculous."
Annoyance flared inside her.
Well, sure.
The world was vast, and there were plenty of unique players.
If a player like him existed, all sorts of oddballs were bound to be running around.
But deep down, the person she was really mad at was herself.
This hurts my pride. Fuck. How the hell were those monsters terrified of a guy like him?
Without seeing the fight, she couldn't know for sure, but the mere thought of it stirred her competitive spirit.
"Hmph."
Whether they whimpered or not didn't matter.
All that mattered was taking them down first and clearing the rift.
Leonie resolved to stop paying attention to the man.
"…Damn it, I lost again."
Not that he had paid them any mind to begin with.
Now, she was getting curious about what kind of tea was in that cup that let him sip it so leisurely in an environment like that.
…Is it really that good?
Gulp—
Leonie swallowed hard and snapped out of her daze.
"I have no tea to offer unto you."
Fuck off! I wouldn't drink your damn tea even if you begged me to!
Turning around, Leonie spoke to her guild members.
"Let's move."
"Didn't you say earlier it'd be better to team up?"
"Forget it. I changed my mind."
"Aww~ Sis, are you sulking? Just because he wouldn't share his tea?"
"Shut up! I said I wouldn't drink it even if he begged me, didn't I?"
"…When?"
A few guild members glanced back at the man.
"Still, won't it be dangerous for him? He's all by himself."
"Why not at least ask him to group up? Who knows, he might have intel on the area."
"Forget it. Anyone cocky enough to wear a suit and dress shoes into a rift isn't looking for help. Besides, you saw his attitude, right? He wouldn't offer a drop of tea, as if he'd share info."
"…Yeah, you're definitely sulking."
"Why you—!"
Raising her fist, Leonie continued.
"At best, he's probably around my level."
"Your level?!"
"Yeah. Well, maybe he's one of those rankers who haven't revealed their identities."
At Leonie's assessment, the guild members stirred.
"True… Even Skal has never properly shown his face…"
Rank 1 player, Skal.
He too was a figure shrouded in total mystery.
Leonie waved her hand dismissively.
"Whatever. Treat him as competition. Consider this a solid warm-up, so—"
In truth, Leonie's instincts were wildly off the mark.
Somehow, she hadn't gotten a single detail right—neither Hoyeol's actual level, which hadn't even broken Level 80, nor her assumption that this rift would be a simple warm-up.
Fwoosh—!
"!"
A sharp whistle cut through the frigid air as an arrow flew straight toward the party.
Before Leonie could react, the projectile struck one of her guild members square in the shoulder blade.
"Everyone, battle positions! Healers, treat the injured!"
As expected of a Rank 32 guild, Berserker responded with practiced discipline despite the surprise attack.
However…
"C-Cap, there are way more than we thought!"
Countless glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness.
"Hawkeye!"
An archer activated a skill that vastly expanded their field of vision, scouting the perimeter before calling back in panic.
"The Bloody Bandits have completely encircled us! Boss… there look to be at least 200 of them!"
With only forty-five members present, Berserker was heavily outnumbered.
Furthermore, the Bloody Bandits were humanoid monsters.
Meaning they were tricky to deal with.
"Hell yeah! Now this feels like a proper update!"
"Finally, some real action!"
"No need to bother searching around. Nice."
But Leonie and the others were accustomed to battle.
Their guild wasn't named Berserker for nothing.
Leonie raised her dual swords.
"Here they come!"
Her plan was to block the volley of arrows first, then charge.
Despite being outnumbered, her team possessed a significant level advantage.
Her tanks could easily absorb the assault, creating an opening to smash through the encirclement.
We can manage this.
Leonie calculated.
But wait.
Her eyes flicked back toward the lone figure.
What about that guy?
She gasped at the sight of the man, who was now directly targeted by the incoming swarm.
"Is he completely out of his fucking mind?!"
Even with a storm of incoming arrows hurtling straight for him, the man remained perfectly still, stubbornly clutching his teacup.
* * *
Holding my teacup, I quietly observed the situation.
An arrow struck a player's shoulder.
Sensing presence from all directions, I realized we were completely surrounded.
Considering their numbers, I figured more than a few arrows would be heading my way.
Naturally, unlike the players over there, I had no armor, no shield, and no companions to step forward and protect me.
Yet, I remained unbothered.
As the storm of arrows flew toward me—
I looked down into the empty teacup.
"Tea, taken beneath the open sky, has its own quiet charm."
It was a confidence backed by sound reason.
Targeting the teacup with 『Examine』, I let the sequence flow seamlessly into 『Interfere』 like a well-rehearsed movement.
And thus, I 『Manifested』 magic.
"Though its use be humble…"
The teacup in my hand began changing into a wall.
A moment later, the barrage of arrows snapped and showered harmlessly down at my feet.
"…its power is no trifling thing."
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