Chapter 112

 

“Get up! Get up!”

 

“Ugh, ugh...”

 

“Ugh…”

 

The players wake up, groaning, likely from the lack of sleep.

 

“Hey! Hey! Roven! Roven!”

 

“…”

 

“Move him closer to the fire! Does anyone have any potions left? His condition is really, really bad!”

 

The otherworlders, their faces deathly pale, can’t even manage to stand. They look more like patients in a hospital ward than survivors of the tower.

 

“…”

 

And me? I’m still holding up fine. My body is brimming with energy, and my skin remains smooth without a single crack.

 

Part of it is thanks to the mana I’ve recently awakened, but most of it is due to the ‘Hero’ trait. The players may not trust me, but the otherworlders do because Baron Jorge trusts me. There’s a reason why I haven’t regressed in the face of this extreme cold.

 

“…So, what’s going on?”

 

Yoon Jung-hyun asks as he rubs his swollen eyes, his voice tinged with faint irritation. He’s trying to hide it, but it’s clear he’s just woken up, and his emotions are slipping through.

 

“Remember when I told you on the first day, when we left the fortress, that monsters would appear? I said it was written in the book.”

 

“…Right.”

 

“They’re coming now. Or they might already be here.”

 

“What did you just say?”

 

(Though I made it up) Yoon Jung-hyun’s brow furrows as he recalls what I said, ‘An inevitable death is approaching. Flee in the direction of the rising sun. That is the only way to survive.’ 

 

“…Are you saying those are the monsters?”

 

We had four hours left. The sky had shifted from black to a deep blue, and dawn was slowly breaking. This meant the shapes of the monsters were now visible.

 

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

 

If you listened closely, you could hear the ground trembling. That’s when the realization of the danger hit, and people’s eyes widened in fear.

 

“N-no…”

 

“Are all those really monsters?”

 

“My God…”

 

In a panic, they fumbled to gather their belongings, but their hands were clumsy, and their actions lacked coherence. Even I, who had seen these monstrous hordes dozens of times, felt overwhelmed every time. How much more terrifying must it be for them?

 

“Hold on. Hold on. Calm down. There’s no need to panic.”

 

To prevent everyone from falling into chaos, I climbed onto a sled so everyone could see me and tried to calm them down.

 

“I believe now you understand why I said we needed to run.”

 

“…”

 

Even the players who had cursed me before couldn’t find words to say now. It was clear to everyone that I had been right all along.

 

“Of course, the situation isn’t good. Many people can’t move, and with the heavy snow, moving forward won’t be easy.”

 

We have dozens of critically ill people, about a hundred more who are weak and trembling, another hundred or so who are simply sick, a few dozen who are relatively okay, and one person who’s still fully functional.

 

Trying to push forward through the snow with this group is anything but easy. More than half of the sleds were already used as firewood, leaving them fully loaded. Every step in the deep snow drains our energy, saps our body heat, and eats away at our willpower.

 

If even a single monster attacks, we’ll be helplessly slaughtered.

 

“But this isn’t a problem unique to us.”

 

The same goes for the monsters.

 

They, too, have to trudge through this snowfield. They’ve been walking endlessly across this great distance. They’re also exposed to the same bitter cold.

 

This harsh environment doesn’t apply only to us.

 

“Everyone, stay calm and get ready to move. As long as we keep moving, we can survive. I’ll hold them off here.”

 

I’m sending the others ahead while I stay behind to hold the line. It’s not much different from what I’ve done in previous iterations.

 

“But…”

 

“…Will you be alright?”

 

The hesitation in their voices was understandable. It seemed like I was volunteering as a sacrificial lamb. But I had no intention of sacrificing myself. In fact, I was fully intent on surviving.

 

“Hurry up and go. There’s no time.”

 

Finally, the others began to move, albeit reluctantly. I met the eyes of the strongest among them, those pulling the sleds, and then casually tossed a bundle of swords into the snow.

 

In the distance, I could see the monsters approaching. The ground rumbled beneath my feet, a sensation that oddly brought a sense of relief.

 

Now, let’s reflect on the past iterations. The enemy’s composition is typically divided between the agile types like wolves or felines and the sturdier ones resembling orcs or hippos.

 

But could the orcs really reach us from that distance within four hours? They’ve been moving for two days, but we’ve been fleeing non-stop for five. And just like us, they’ve had to slog through the snow. It’s unlikely they’ll catch up to us in such a short time.

 

In other words, the orcs aren’t a concern. They won’t be able to reach us.

 

So, who are the real threats? The wolves or the felines—those are the ones who will target us.

 

But even that’s manageable. Why? Because they’re the ones at the front.

 

The monster waves grow increasingly difficult with each passing day, and the enemies become stronger. However, the monsters leading this wave are those that appear on the third day—the most basic types. I’m so used to dealing with them that it’s almost boring.

 

Of course, this isn’t an entirely favorable situation for me. Unlike the narrow confines of a fortress, I’m now in an expansive snowfield. This means I’ll have to chase down and intercept the monsters myself.

 

It won’t be easy. It’s never easy. But I have to do it. No one has died yet, and I’m so close to finding the right solution. I can’t afford to give up now.

 

“Huff…”

 

Sitting by the dying fire, I close my eyes and focus my mind. I can’t afford to let a single one slip by. I circulate the mana within my body, sharpening my senses to their peak.

 

As I utilize the ‘Meditation’ trait to bring my physical state to its absolute best, the time finally comes.

 

-1: 42 : 11

 

Rumble!!

 

The ground shakes, and the eerie cries of monsters, locked in their own lethal struggles, echo through the sky.

 

“Woof! Woof!!”

 

“Grrrr!!!”

 

“Howwwwwwwwuuul!!!”

 

Amidst the monsters’ howls, the vanguard has arrived. A lone wolf lunges at me, its jaws wide open.

 

Swish!

 

In one swift motion, I open my eyes and unleash a flash of my blade.

 

The wolf’s body, now headless, brushes past me and disintegrates into glowing dust.

 

Everything is playing out exactly as I predicted. The slower main force is still far behind, while the swift wolf-like monsters are the first to target me.

 

“Come on, then.”

 

You’re not getting past me here.

 

***

 

The wolves are fast. Agile. They move effortlessly across the snow.

 

But the most surprising thing is that I’m faster. With my high base stats, the Hero trait, and the mana circulation working in perfect harmony, I’m able to intercept and take down the wolves one by one before they can reach the otherworlders.

 

“Damn it…”

 

However, the situation is critical, and my stamina is depleting rapidly. My sword, once sharp and clean, is now chipped and worn, and the seemingly endless reserve of energy I had is beginning to dwindle. No matter how superhuman one may be, sprinting at full power for over an hour is taking its toll.

 

And now, I start to see the black cats emerging. These creatures usually appear in large numbers on the fourth day, yet they’ve already arrived. Worse still, they’re moving much faster than I remember. Perhaps they sensed the lack of people in the fortress and sent in their swiftest to close the distance.

 

They make almost no sound, move with impossible speed, and possess exceptional combat prowess. But I refuse to give up.

 

-0 : 55 : 11

 

Less than an hour remains. Just one more hour to endure. There’s hope. The hope that I can save everyone.

 

In response to my determination, a warm sensation radiates from my waist. 

 

Unknowingly, there was a new sword in the previous ‘empty’ scabbard.

 

—Hope.

 

The sword I draw glows a deep yellow. Its brilliant light melts the snow around me, and my depleted stamina begins to slowly recover.

 

“Where do you think you’re going, you bastard!”

 

With my renewed strength, I dash forward and cut down a stealthy cat trying to approach. 

 

Another slash. Then another.

 

Hope kept me from faltering. It kept me going, despite the fatigue.

 

Just a little longer. Immersed in a trance, I continue to dash across the snowy field, cutting down the cats one after another.

 

How much time has passed since then?

 

“…”

 

Thud.

 

My frantic, desperate sprinting came to an abrupt halt. Not by choice, but by necessity.

 

“Growl…”

 

“Snarl…”

 

A pack of ‘black wolves’ had completely surrounded me. These were the ones that typically appear on the fifth day if no one is dead, but they’d already reached me.

 

“Ah.”

 

No matter how strong I’ve become, there’s no way out of a complete encirclement like this. I’m not some martial arts master who can create a sword barrier, nor can I fend off attacks coming from every direction. Survival might be possible, but escaping unscathed? Impossible.

 

But I don’t give up. I tighten my grip on my sword, determination hardening my resolve. Even if I die here and have to start over, I’ll make sure those who are desperately fleeing in the distance survive.

 

The emotion that lets you fight, even when you know the odds are hopeless—that’s hope.

 

Mana surged violently within me, and my muscles swelled as if they were about to burst. I poured everything I had into my sword and swung it at the wolves rushing toward me.

 

“Raaagh!!!”

 

“Roooaaar!!!”

 

Just as my glowing yellow sword clashed with the dozens of dark forms hurtling toward me—

 

Whoosh!

 

The scene suddenly shifted, and my sword cleaved harmlessly through the air, slicing my unfortunate bed in half.

 

“...Huh?”

 

For a moment, I let out a stupid sound, still struggling to grasp the situation.

 

-00 : 00 : 00

 

“…”

 

I stared blankly at the message, and before I knew it, I collapsed to the ground.

 

I won.

 

I... w-won!

– – – End of Chapter – – -

 

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