CH 18 I Can Go As Many Rounds As You Want

Both of them stood still for several seconds, their eyes fixed on what lay ahead. The entrance to the valley had changed so drastically that it was hard to believe it was the same place that Freya had talked about. What used to be natural slopes leading downward had collapsed inward, sealing the entire entry under layers of broken stone and uneven ground. The surrounding terrain had shifted so much that the valley no longer even looked like a valley. It resembled a rough plateau now, with no clear way in.

Ren frowned slightly while studying the collapsed terrain. “We’ll have to look around and find another way in. Maybe if we circle around, we can find a section that didn’t collapse. If that—”

“Hide,” Freya whispered sharply, cutting him off.

Her body had already moved, slipping quickly between two large chunks of broken rock nearby. She grabbed Ren’s arm and pulled him along with her, forcing him into cover. By now, Ren had learned to trust that kind of urgency. Freya didn’t react like this unless something was seriously wrong.

He crouched beside her without asking questions.

A moment passed.

Then the pressure came.

It was a metaphorical pressure, but it hit like a truck had been rammed into them. The air around them thickened suddenly, pressing down on their bodies and making it harder to breathe. Ren felt his chest tighten as his lungs struggled to pull in air. At the same time, his heartbeat sped up on its own, adrenaline flooding his system before he could even process what was happening.

His instincts reacted first.

Danger.

Ren slowly lifted his gaze, following the direction of that suffocating pressure. Through the gaps between the rocks and the trees, he saw it.

A massive hawk was flying above the valley.

Its wings were wide, cutting through the air with a controlled, effortless motion. Even at a distance, its presence was overwhelming. There was something fundamentally different about it, something that his instincts recognized immediately even if his mind hadn’t fully caught up yet.

A chill ran down his spine as he watched it.

His Domain of Oneself was warning him.

That he was beneath that creature.

That it could kill him as easily as breathing.

Ren’s thoughts sharpened quickly. Monsters grew stronger every level, but not all increases were equal. Every ten levels brought a noticeable jump in strength, speed, and durability, but certain thresholds changed things entirely. When a monster crossed into the next ‘rank’, it would evolve beyond recognition and gain new abilities.

Until now, everything he had faced had been Normal-rank. Even the Terror Wolf that had easily torn through multiple Huntscale Vipers had still been within that boundary.

This hawk was not.

The pressure alone made that clear.

Ren remained completely still, barely even breathing as he watched it pass. Freya didn’t move either. Both of them understood without needing to speak. Against something like that, even the smallest mistake could be fatal. A flying monster at that level would have complete control over the battlefield. If it noticed them, there would be no running and no hiding.

The hawk continued forward, leaving the valley and heading toward the forest behind them. Only after its presence faded and the crushing pressure in the air lifted did Ren allow himself to relax slightly. He let out a slow breath. His body was still tense from the encounter.

“…So there are still monsters inside the valley,” he muttered quietly.

Freya didn’t respond immediately.

Ren turned toward her and noticed that her expression hadn’t eased like his had. She was still focused, her gaze lingering in the direction the hawk had flown.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“The hawk was injured. Its wing was bleeding,” she said after a moment.

Ren’s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he processed that information. He hadn’t been able to observe the hawk closely enough to notice that detail, but Freya wouldn’t say something like that without being sure.

“You think something inside the valley did that?” he asked.

“It’s possible. It might even be the thing that’s calling us here,” she replied.

Ren turned his head and looked in the direction the hawk had flown, his mind racing. When going from Level 20 to Level 21, there was a minor chance a monster could evolve from Normal-rank to Elite-rank. These monsters were tremendously powerful, and they dominated entire regions where they lived.

An Elite-rank monster strong enough to dominate the air had been injured and forced to leave. That wasn’t something that happened casually. Whatever had done that was not something they could take lightly.

What was waiting for Ren and Freya inside the valley.

We need to level up. If something can injure an Elite monster, then chances are high if it attacks us, we will we wiped out, Ren thought.

That wasn’t the only thought he had. Why was the hawk still in the forest? Most monsters seemed to be running away. Actually, hadn’t the Huntscale Viper also stayed back in the forest? All monsters were running away from the direction of the valley, but just last night, a Huntscale Viper had moved towards the valley and found Ren and Freya’s resting location.

Is there some factor that differentiate what monsters run away, and what stays? he wondered.

“What do we do now? We still need to enter the valley, but there’s no path anymore. Everything collapsed. We can either try to climb or move around and hope we find an opening.” Freya’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Ren looked at the towering wall of rock ahead and then back toward the forest where the hawk had disappeared.

“Climbing like this is risky. If that hawk comes back while we’re exposed on the wall, we won’t be able to defend ourselves properly. But going around isn’t much better. Even if we find an entrance that didn’t collapse, it’ll be unstable. It could give way at any moment,” he said.

“Don’t worry about the hawk,” Freya said, her tone calmer now.

“What do you mean?” Ren glanced at her.

“It’s not coming back anytime soon. It was injured. If it flew into the forest, it’s probably looking for food so it can recover. That means two things. First, it’ll waste time searching because there aren’t many monsters left in that direction. Second, if there were enough prey inside the valley, it wouldn’t have left. It would’ve stayed and hunted there instead,” she replied.

Ren thought about it for a moment and slowly nodded. Her reasoning made sense. If the hawk had left the valley to hunt elsewhere, then it was unlikely that it would return immediately.

“That means we have a window to enter the valley,” he said.

He looked at the rocky wall again, judging the height and the uneven surface. Climbing would still be difficult, but now it seemed more manageable.

Still, another thought surfaced.

“Should we level up first before entering?” he asked.

“Are you worried about the thing calling us to the valley?” she asked back.

“Yes, are you not?” he replied. As they currently were, Ren saw no way they could defeat something that managed to injure an Elite monster. Ren wasn’t worried about dying. But he refused to break his promise with his father. And…

I want to get stronger, he thought.

The feeling of becoming stronger was intoxicating. At the same time, he disliked the feeling of being the weaker one in a fight. He wanted to be strong enough to dominate his enemies with a one-sided advantage.

Freya finally spoke with a sigh, “If we go back, the window should have already broken. All the Huntscale Vipers would be out by now. Going there would be dangerous. The moment even one of them notices us, it could alert the rest—”

“Don’t you want to check on the Terror Wolf?” he said, cutting her off.

Freya went silent.

Ren watched her expression carefully. He didn’t need to say more. The hesitation was clear. She wanted to believe the wolf was still alive, but she was also afraid of confirming the opposite.

“…We can’t go back. If we get surrounded, we won’t make it out,” she said with reluctance after a few seconds.

“Alright. I understand.” Ren nodded slowly. “In that case, I’ll go alone.”

“What—!?” Freya looked at him in disbelief.

Ren met her gaze calmly. He understood why she reacted like that. From her perspective, this was reckless. Just yesterday, they had avoided entering the Window because they knew they weren’t strong enough to deal with the Huntscale Vipers. That assessment hadn’t been wrong.

But things had changed.

Ren wasn’t the same as he had been last night. His level had increased, his Spells had improved, and more importantly, his understanding of combat had sharpened. He wouldn’t say he was strong enough to guarantee victory against a group of Huntscale Vipers, but the situation wasn’t hopeless anymore. There was a chance now—a small one—but it existed.

And that was enough.

Ren wasn’t someone who waited for perfect conditions. Victory didn’t come to people who avoided risks entirely. It came to those who took calculated ones and survived.

Of course, there was another factor influencing his decision. The injured Elite-rank hawk had made something very clear. There were threats inside the valley far beyond their current level. If they delayed too much, they might end up facing something they couldn’t even escape from.

He needed to grow stronger, and he needed to do it quickly.

“Are you going crazy? We didn’t go into the Window yesterday because we were too weak to deal with the Huntscale Vipers. And now you’re saying you’ll fight them alone?” Freya said, her voice rising slightly.

“The Huntscale Vipers should have already come out of the Window by now. They won’t be gathered in one place anymore, and will be scattered across the forest. That means I don’t have to face all of them at once. I can pick them off. It’s risky, but I have a chance. And I think it’s a risk worth taking,” he said.

Freya stared at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. She didn’t respond immediately. The silence stretched for a few seconds. The tension rose between the two.

Ren didn’t back down, and met her gaze calmly.

Eventually, Freya let out a slow sigh and looked away.

“…Fine. Then tell me the plan that makes you think we can come out alive,” she said quietly.

Ren blinked once, then scratched his cheek lightly. “About that… give me a second.”

Freya looked at him with a confused expression but nodded anyway.

Ren stepped a little to the side and closed his eyes, focusing inward.

Hey, Earth Bullet, he called out in his mind.

Is there something he needed?

Can we step on you and run? Ren asked directly.

Pardon? Earth Bullet did not understand his question. Could he explain again?

You stay in the air for about three seconds after being created, right? So what if I keep creating new Earth Bullets continuously and use them as footholds to run through the air? he questioned.

He wasn’t asking whether it was possible mechanically. It was. He knew that. He was asking whether the Spell would tolerate being used that way. Using a Spell outside its intended purpose could create resistance. Water Bullet, and Gentle Wind were the perfect example.

There is no problem. Earth exists to be stepped upon. Earth Bullet’s intentions came back without hesitation.

Ren nodded slightly. The answer was blunt, but it matched the personality he had sensed from the Spell.

He opened his eyes and returned to Freya.

“I have a way to escape if we get surrounded,” he said.

“And that is?” Freya crossed her arms slightly.

Ren raised his hand and created an Earth Bullet in front of them. The solid sphere of compact earth hovered steadily in the air.

“Jump on it,” he said.

Freya blinked, clearly confused, but she didn’t question it further. She stepped forward and jumped onto the Earth Bullet. Despite her armor, weapons, and tools, the Spell didn’t waver at all. It held her weight steadily.

Ren created another Earth Bullet a short distance ahead.

“Now jump to that one.”

Freya did as he said. The moment she left the first Earth Bullet, it disappeared as he canceled it.

They repeated the process several times.

With each jump, Freya’s expression shifted. The confusion faded, replaced by realization, and then something closer to admiration.

After a few more attempts, she jumped back down to the ground and looked at Ren.

“I’ve been thinking this for a while. You’re pretty smart, aren’t you?” she said.

“Yes?” Ren tilted his head slightly.

“Back when you used fire to distract that [thing], then used earth skill to break your fall after the Huntscale Viper’s ambush, and now this. You keep finding strang— innovative ways to use your skills. Most people wouldn’t think like that,” she said.

Ren simply nodded. From his perspective, these weren’t particularly complex ideas. If something could be controlled, then it could be used differently.

After that, they began practicing seriously.

Running on Earth Bullets wasn’t easy. Timing was everything. If Ren created the next foothold too early or too late, Freya would lose her balance. If she hesitated mid-jump, the previous platform would disappear before she landed.

To use this in combat, especially while escaping Huntscale Vipers, they needed precision.

So they practiced.

Again and again.

Ren continuously created Earth Bullets while Freya and he jumped between them, adjusting their timing and balance with each attempt. Occasionally, Ren moved in front of her, testing the movement himself to better understand the limitations.

The process consumed a steady amount of lifespan.

Ren could feel it draining, but he didn’t stop. He had already decided that this was an investment. Once they started hunting Huntscale Vipers, he would recover everything and more.

By the time the sun began to dip, they finally stopped.

Both of them were tired, but the improvement was clear. The movements had become smoother, and reliable.

They sat down to eat, preparing themselves for the night ahead.

“We should attack at night. The Huntscale Vipers more likely to be resting at that time. It’ll give us an advantage,” Ren said between bites.

Freya nodded.

As they ate, the tension eased slightly, and their conversation drifted into something more casual.

“Ren, do you think it’s possible for a single awakener to kill hundreds of monsters in one battle?” Freya asked.

Ren shook his head without much thought. “That’s not realistic. An average awakener is weaker than a monster of the same level. Being able to fight one alone already makes you talented. Fighting monsters one or two levels above you puts you in the genius category.”

He added, “If we think of it as a scale of ten, a genius would be a ten. What you’re describing would require someone to be a hundred on that scale. But the scale doesn’t go that high.”

“Then doesn’t that mean you’re already beyond ten? You’re fighting monsters above your level.” Freya smiled slightly.

Ren shrugged.

Freya was not wrong. He could fight monsters above his level, and he would be counted as a genius.

Still, that would put him at ten on the scale, not eleven, and Ren knew people who stood at all eleven on the scale did exist.

They were the awakeners of Nobles Houses.

In the Human Federation, Noble Houses had always produced individuals far stronger than ordinary awakeners. That much was widely accepted. They had better resources, better training, and stronger support systems.

But something about it never sat right with Ren.

Every awakener started from the same point.

Yet no true outliers ever appeared among commoners.

That didn’t feel like coincidence.

There had always been rumors, and conspiracy theories that said the nobles possessed some hidden advantage, something they kept secret. The most common theory suggested that they had a way to expand their Domain of Oneself beyond normal limits.

Because under normal circumstances, when an awakener approached the peak of their current Class, they couldn’t maximize everything. There were always limitations, and trade-offs. Ren understood this clearly. By the time he reached the maximum level before his first Class Evolution, he might be able to fully upgrade all of his Spells, refine their modifications, and polish his casting ability, but his physical stats would lag behind. He wouldn’t be able to push Strength, Agility, or Constitution far beyond what leveling passively granted him. The same applied to other classes as well. Mechanics could refine their creations, build stronger tools, and improve their technical efficiency, but their bodies wouldn’t grow much stronger. Martial Artists could enhance their physical capabilities, but even they couldn’t perfect every aspect of their body at once. They had to specialize, focusing on speed, power, or endurance, because trying to improve everything equally would leave them mediocre across the board.

The root of that limitation was the Domain of Oneself.

It simply wasn’t large enough.

Every ability, every stat, every Spell existed as a Domain within that space. As those Domains grew stronger, they occupied more “space” within it. Eventually, the Domain of Oneself would reach its limit, and at that point, no further growth could occur. That was why people had to choose what they wanted to master and what they were willing to leave behind. Becoming a Master of All was fundamentally impossible. One could only ever become a Master of One.

At least, that was what everyone believed.

There had always been rumors suggesting otherwise. Conspiracy theories that claimed Noble Houses possessed a method to expand the Domain of Oneself without relying solely on leveling. If that were true, then the implications were obvious. A larger Domain of Oneself meant more room to grow. More room meant fewer trade-offs. Combined with the natural expansion that came from leveling, this would allow nobles to push multiple aspects of their Class to the limit at the same time. It would explain why they consistently produced powerhouses far beyond what commoners could achieve.

Ren had always dismissed those theories as unreliable speculation.

Now, he was certain they were real.

The reason was simple.

His Talent.

The ability to choose three Class Evolutions wasn’t something that could exist without purpose. If the limitations of the Domain of Oneself remained unchanged, then having three Classes would be meaningless. He wouldn’t have enough capacity to develop even one fully, let alone three. The Talent wouldn’t grant an ability that was fundamentally useless.

Which meant there had to be a way around that limitation.

There’s definitely a method that expands the Domain of Oneself beyond normal limits, Ren thought quietly.

His gaze shifted subtly toward Freya.

She was a noble.

If anyone had knowledge about such a method, it would be someone like her. Even if she didn’t know it directly, she might at least know where to look or who to ask. The problem was trust. They had only been working together for three days. Asking something like that outright would likely get him nowhere. At best, she would deflect the question. At worst, she would become suspicious.

Ren needed to be patient.

He needed to build enough rapport so that the question wouldn’t feel like an intrusion.

In fact, part of the reason he had brought up going back to check on the Terror Wolf earlier had been because of this. Freya clearly had some emotional attachment to that monster. If he positioned himself as someone who cared about what she cared about, it would naturally improve how she saw him. That, in turn, would make her more open when the time came to ask about more sensitive topics.

Did that make his actions manipulative?

Ren didn’t mind if it did.

From his perspective, this was simply how things worked. Freya had approached him in the first place because she needed someone capable enough to survive alongside her. Their partnership existed because it benefited both of them. There was no point pretending otherwise.

Maybe Ren had become cynical after what happened at his Awakening, but he felt it was correct to look after one’s benefits and safety whenever one could. Back at awakening day, friends he had been together since childhood called him monster when he awakened Mage Class. Even Benjamin, his best friend, who was like a brother, moved away from him and never came to talk to him.

It made Ren realize that thinking of others and prioritizing them above yourself was wrong. Others would leave you the day they found you inconvenient. Of course, Ren wasn’t going to say something like ‘people only became friends for benefits, or loved others for benefits.’ He knew his dad loved him without needing anything in return. Still, now Ren would no longer prioritize others above his own safety, and benefits.

After finishing their meal, Ren and Freya returned to practice for a while longer, refining their coordination with the Earth Bullet footholds. By the time darkness settled fully over the forest, they were ready to move.

Night had its disadvantages. Visibility was low, and shadows made it harder to track movement. However, they also had advantages. Freya’s senses were sharp enough to compensate for the darkness, and Ren had Mana Zone, which allowed him to perceive his surroundings more clearly. More importantly, the Huntscale Vipers were primarily active during the day. Even the one that had attacked them at night had shown signs of lethargy, suggesting that nighttime was when they rested.

This was their best opportunity.

Just before leaving, Ren paused and focused inward.

Silent Veil, he called.

There was no reply.

The Spell remained quiet.

Ren frowned slightly. Silent Veil had already reached Level 4. It should have been capable of responding with intentions, at least faintly. Yet it remained completely silent. He couldn’t tell whether it simply chose not to respond or if it communicated differently from the others.

Still, he continued,

I want you to add a modification that increase your duration.

There was no verbal response, but a notification appeared almost immediately.

[Silent Veil Spell has been modified.]
(New) [Modification: For every two levels in the Spell, total duration of Spell effect increases by 10 seconds.]

A small smile appeared on Ren’s face.

At Level 4, Silent Veil already lasted twenty seconds. With this modification, the duration would extend to forty seconds. The fifty percent increase in lifespan consumption would be manageable, especially considering the advantage it provided in stealth and ambush scenarios.

This is perfect. Thank you, he spoke in his mind.

With that, they began moving.

Their destination was the location where the Terror Wolf was likely resting. According to Freya, that area served as a den for the pack. If the Terror Wolf was still alive, it would be there.

Ren activated Silent Veil as they moved, allowing the controlled wind to wrap around him and erase the sound and scent of his movements. Each step became quieter, blending into the natural flow of the environment. Beside him, Freya moved without any assistance. Her steps were so light that even without the Spell she barely made a sound.

Ren glanced at her briefly, a hint of admiration crossing his mind. Her control over her body was exceptional. Every movement was controlled, every step placed with precision. It wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight. It came from experience, from long-term survival in an environment where a single mistake meant death.

It made sense.

She had survived in the Salt Sea region for two months.

That alone said enough.

Freya, on the other hand, observed Ren quietly as they moved.

He is running quite fast. He doesn’t look like someone who just arrived here. With the strength he has shown until now, he could probably defeat someone who has been here for a month. This confirms it. He has a Talent, she thought.

It didn’t take long before they found their first targets. Two Huntscale Vipers lay coiled on the ground ahead. Their bodies were still and relaxed, making it obvious they were asleep.

Ren and Freya exchanged a brief look, and the understanding passed between them without words. The assumption they had made earlier was correct. These monsters rested at night.

Ren’s thoughts moved quickly as he analyzed the situation. The Huntscale Vipers behaved similarly to most snakes, and other snake-like monsters. During the day, they were active and aggressive, but at night, especially in colder conditions, they became sluggish or dormant. If they shared other traits with snake-like creatures, then they likely relied heavily on sensing vibrations in their surroundings rather than vision or sound.

That detail mattered.

Silent Veil removed noise and scent, but it didn’t eliminate vibrations caused by movement. If he got too close, even careful steps might alert them. Ren didn’t want to test how sensitive they were, especially when the advantage of surprise was completely in his favor.

He began moving forward slowly, planning to stop at appropriate distance. He adjusted the pressure of his footing, distributing his weight in a way that minimized disturbance. The distance closed gradually, ten meters becoming nine, then eight. At six meters, he slowed further, his focus sharpening. He stopped at five.

Freya remained behind him, watching.

This was the plan they had agreed on. Ren would handle the sleeping targets, and if anything went wrong, if even one of them woke up or reacted unpredictably, she would step in immediately. Still, as she watched him stand there calmly, a faint frown appeared on her face. He still hadn’t explained how he planned to kill them without causing any disturbance.

Ren made his move.

He cast Gentle Wind. The Spell formed quietly, wrapping a faint current of air around one of the Huntscale Vipers. The radius of the Spell of was meters, but the two monsters were close enough that the airflow spread between them. Even though he targeted only one, both of them would end up breathing it.

This time, the Spell didn’t resist.

Ren waited patiently for the monsters to breathe in the artificial air.

Seconds passed, then more, and the forest remained silent. The two Huntscale Vipers showed no reaction. Their bodies remained still as they continued to breathe. Ren’s gaze remained fixed on them, measuring the time carefully in his head.

After nearly a minute, he canceled the Spell.

The effect took hold almost immediately.

Both Huntscale Vipers stirred at once. Their bodies twitched as their internal balance collapsed. Their coils loosened, and their heads lifted slightly in a delayed reaction, as if their bodies were trying to respond but couldn’t coordinate properly.

Before they could recover, Ren acted again.

He cast Silent Veil over both of them, suppressing any sound their movements might produce. Their bodies convulsed briefly, the disruption spreading through their systems, and then they went still.

[Level 15 Huntscale Viper killed]
[1534 days of lifespan gained.]
[3033 EXP gained.]

[Level 14 Huntscale Viper killed]
[1466 days of lifespan gained.]
[2913 EXP gained.]

Freya’s eyes widened as she watched the entire process unfold. There had been no struggle, or visible attack, and yet two high-level monsters had been eliminated cleanly. The method was efficient to the point it unsettled her. Ren had been summoned only three days ago, yet he had just dealt with enemies that would trouble even experienced awakeners.

Ren turned toward her and gave a simple signal.

Freya moved immediately, pushing aside her thoughts and stepping forward to begin extracting the Cores. Her movements were precise, controlled, and efficient. Normally, this process would require her to slow down to avoid making noise, but Ren cast Silent Veil over her as well, allowing her to work without restraint. Without the need to suppress sound manually, her speed increased noticeably, and the extraction was completed quickly with minimal blood spillage.

The wind direction worked in their favor. The air flowed toward the valley, the same direction they had come from earlier, ensuring that the scent wouldn’t spread toward any nearby Huntscale Vipers.

Once she finished, they moved again.

Over the next stretch, they encountered more groups. Two Huntscale Vipers here, three there. Ren repeated the same method each time, eliminating them without direct confrontation. Freya followed up, harvesting the Cores with practiced efficiency.

As they continued, the forest showed more signs of earlier earthquake. Fallen trees blocked their path, forcing them to take longer routes. Cracks in the ground disrupted their footing, and small hills had formed where the land had shifted. Despite the obstacles, they moved steadily, adjusting their path as needed.

At one point, both of them sensed movement above almost simultaneously. A Huntscale Viper dropped from a branch in an ambush, its body launching downward with speed.

Ren reacted instantly, casting Silent Veil on both Freya and the monster to suppress sound. At the same time, he launched a Wind Blade toward the falling viper. The attack didn’t cause significant damage, but it disrupted the creature’s movement just long enough.

That was all Freya needed.

She stepped in, closed the distance in an instant, and drove her blade into the monster’s eye, ending the fight immediately.

Without pausing, she began extracting the Core.

Ren approached as she worked, watching her movements for a moment before speaking.

“I’ve been thinking about this, but what level are you?” he said, his tone casual but curious,

Freya glanced up at him, a faint smile forming on her lips. There was a teasing glint in her eyes.

“I was wondering when you’d ask. Make a guess. If you’re within one level, I’ll tell you,” she said.

Ren considered it briefly before answering.

“Level 18.”

“Wrong.” Freya shook her head slightly, her smile widening.

Ren paused, his mind recalculating. Her combat ability didn’t match someone at Level 16 or below. The way she moved, the precision she displayed, and her overall strength all pointed higher.

That meant she was at least Level 20.

The realization was shocking to say the least.

She had reached that level in just two months, alone.

Ren had thought she had been playing it safe for the two months she was here. But her level proved otherwise. She had been hunting consistently, taking risks, and pushing her limits beyond time and again.

Still, he noted something else.

Her build leaned heavily toward physical stats. That gave her strong direct combat ability, but it also limited her greatly, considering she was a Mechanic.

I doubt she can fight Level 20 monsters. She messed up the entire build by putting stat points into physical stats, he thought.

Freya finished extracting the Core and stood up.

They continued moving.

The deeper they went, the more corpses they found. Huntscale Vipers lay scattered across the forest. Their bodies were marked by deep wounds. Some had clean, sharp gashes that looked like they had been inflicted by talons, while others appeared crushed or torn apart, suggesting they had been dropped from a height.

Ren examined one briefly and understood immediately. The Elite-rank hawk had been hunting here. It had managed to find prey despite the thick branches covering the sky, and killed several Huntscale Vipers.

Ren and Freya remained cautious as they moved forward.

After nearly two hours, they reached the Terror Wolf’s den.

The structure stretched along the ground. Its sides and roof were formed from stone. The entrance was dark, and the interior was completely hidden from view. Even with their senses, they couldn’t see what lay inside.

Neither of them moved forward.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Both of them stood still, their expressions turning serious.

Ren’s gaze lowered toward the ground near the entrance. There were multiple fresh tracks of something long entering the den.

He exhaled slowly as the realization settled.

There were Huntscale Vipers inside the den, and not just one or two.

Freya tapped his shoulder lightly to get his attention and then took his hand, writing on his palm in quick but careful strokes. “Let’s look around for clues about where Luna went. There is no need to risk our lives by entering the den. There must be at least ten Huntscale Vipers inside.”

Ren read the words, thought about them for a moment, and then held her hand to write on her palm. “I will deal with the Huntscale Vipers inside the den. You check the surroundings for any clues.”

Freya’s hand froze. She stared at him, trying to see if this was a joke or some kind of reckless impulse. She had just told him there could be ten of those monsters inside, and he still chose to walk straight into their nest. For a moment, she wanted to argue, to stop him before he did something that could get him killed. But when she looked at his face, the confidence there stopped her.

She let out a quiet breath and gave a small nod.

“Don’t take too long. If something feels wrong, come back out. We can think of another way.” She wrote on his palm.

Ren nodded once in response, then turned his attention fully toward the den. Freya stepped back and moved around the area, her eyes scanning the ground, nearby rocks, and the edges of the forest for any sign that could point toward Luna’s path.

Ren focused on the den. He already had a way to kill Huntscale Vipers efficiently with Gentle Wind, but the problem was not damage. The problem was range. If he stepped inside and got within range to hit all of them at once, even the smallest vibration from his movement could wake one of them, and that would be enough to alert the rest. If he stayed outside and picked them off one or two at a time, the survivors would wake up before he could finish.

In other words, he had to enter the den without waking up any Huntscale Viper, then cast Gentle wind if he wanted to kill them all together at once.

He opened his status screen and glanced at his remaining resources.

I have enough EXP, but this isn’t the time to sit down and upgrade properly. Still, the one Stat point I have should be enough for what I need, he thought.

He placed the stat point into Earth Element without hesitation.

[Earth Element Level 1 → Level 2]

Earth, give me a spell that creates a soft, damp layer under my feet so that my steps don’t create noticeable vibrations, he spoke.

The Spell he asked for was weak, and had no offensive or defensive power. So, it should be possible to get with one level.

Understood.

[Mud Spell learned.]

[Mud Step]
[Rank: Normal]
[Level 1]
[Description: Creates a thin layer of soft, damp earth beneath the caster’s feet, absorbing impact and reducing vibrations caused by movement. Each step lands quietly as the mud cushions contact with the ground. Duration: 10 seconds.]

Ren read the description once and nodded. It was exactly what he needed. He cast Mud Step, followed by Silent Veil, and then began moving toward the den with careful, and controlled steps.

Freya, who had only taken a few steps away, stopped and turned back when she sensed him moving. She watched him approach the entrance, her expression tightening slightly. Even she would struggle to go that close without drawing attention, yet Ren moved forward without any visible tension in his body. When he crossed the entrance and disappeared into the darkness without triggering any reaction, her shoulders lowered just a little, though the worry didn’t leave completely.

Inside the den, there was no natural light. The darkness was thick enough that even shapes were hard to distinguish. Ren relied entirely on his Mana Zone to understand his surroundings. He moved slowly, making sure each step was placed carefully. The Spells reduced vibrations, but they didn’t remove them completely. If he rushed or made a sudden movement, it would still be enough to wake something.

He continued forward until he reached a point that felt like the center of the den. Around him, the presence of multiple large bodies filled his perception. Coiled shapes, heavy breaths, and the faint, steady rhythm of sleeping creatures surrounded him on all sides.

Nine Huntscale Vipers, he counted silently after confirming their positions.

Once he was sure he was no longer moving, he let Mud Step and Silent Veil fade. As for his scent, he had already taken care of it earlier by using the white dust Freya carried.

Ren focused, mapping out the positions of all nine Huntscale Vipers in his mind. Then he selected three that were positioned in a way that allowed his Spell to spread across the entire group.

He cast Gentle Wind.

The moment the Spell activated, he felt the familiar drain begin. Nine targets meant nine days of lifespan lost every second. He kept his breathing steady and didn’t move, maintaining the Spell without interruption. Time passed slowly in the silence of the den. The only sounds were the faint, and almost unnoticeable shifts of the sleeping monsters as the effect of the Spell continued.

He waited until a minute and twenty seconds had passed. Only then did he cancel the spell.

The reaction was immediate. The Huntscale Vipers stirred, their massive bodies shifting as they woke up in confusion and pain. Some thrashed instinctively, their tails and bodies striking the ground and walls of the den without any clear target.

Ren moved instantly. He cast Wind Wrap around himself and dodged, weaving through the chaotic movements with swift speed. One of the larger Vipers sensed him and lashed out, joined by another that happened to be close enough. Ren responded by casting Wind Blade, using the force of the attack to push them back rather than trying to cut through their thick hides.

The brief opening created by the impact was enough. Their weakened bodies could not hold on any longer.

Notifications began appearing one after another.

[Level 16 Huntscale Viper killed]
[1634 days of lifespan gained.]
[3231 EXP gained.]

[Level 14 Huntscale Viper killed]
[1441 days of lifespan gained.]
[2800 EXP gained.]

[Level 14 Huntscale Viper killed]
[1418 days of lifespan gained.]
[2854 EXP gained.]

[Level 14 Huntscale Viper killed]
[1506 days of lifespan gained.]
[2891 EXP gained.]

.

.

.

[Level 15 Huntscale Viper killed]
[1512 days of lifespan gained.]
[3016 EXP gained.]

Ren allowed himself a faint smile as he looked at the notifications. Just a day ago, handling even one of these creatures had required him to put his life on the line. Now, he had cleared an entire den in less than two minutes.

“You can come inside,” Ren said, knowing Freya was outside, worried about him.

Freya stepped inside, and stiffened. Even though there was barely any light, she seemed capable of looking around perfectly and saw the bodies of the Huntscale Vipers. They were all dead. From the start to finish, Ren hadn’t spent even two minutes inside the den.

She opened her mouth to ask something, then stopped herself. A quiet sigh escaped her as she rubbed her eyes briefly, giving herself a moment to accept what she had just witnessed. Finally, after taking almost a minute, she spoke, “Let’s harvest their Cores, and leave.”

“Wait. There’s something deeper inside. I noticed it earlier. We should check it first,” Ren said.

Freya nodded.

They moved together toward a slightly elevated section deeper in the den. The ground there was different, and the position suggested it belonged to the leader of the Terror Wolves. However, some fresh claw marks could be seen there, along with scattered fur and dried blood.

“Do you think these belong to Luna?” Ren asked.

“They should. These are the freshest signs of a Terror Wolf staying in this area. Even the clues I found outside weren’t this recent. But… this place should belong to the leader of the pack. Why would Luna rest here? She was strong, but nowhere near the level to be the leader’s position,” Freya said.

The duo’s mind began turning over possibilities, trying to think of why Luna would rest in the leader’s place after the leader went away with the rest of the pack.

Was Luna vain? Maybe she stayed back even after the pack left because she cherished the leader position of the tribe. That would explain why she returned to the pack even though she had been exiled once.

Or….

Maybe Luna had been the mate of the previous leader of the pack. The leader died during a skirmish, and a new one took his place. Luna wasn’t killed, but she was cast out of the pack. Luna wanted revenge. That’s why she rejoined the pack. But after something forced the Terror Wolves to abandon their den and run away, Luna stayed back because this place belonged to her mate, was the mate’s pride, and what caused her mate’s death.

Of course, the second theory was far too outstretched, but the Terror Wolf didn’t look vain enough for the first theory to Ren. He could only wonder and try to predict what had happened in the past. The Terror Wolf was gone, so there was no way to find out what happened, except theorizing.

Ren and Freya observed the place and returned to work quickly after that. They moved back toward the main area and began harvesting the Cores from the Huntscale Vipers. This time, Ren stored everything himself instead of Freya. She was already carrying enough, and there was no reason to divide the load inefficiently.

As they worked, Ren briefly considered sitting down to meditate and process the EXP he had gained. The amount was significant, after all. But the environment made that idea impractical. Even though the den was cleared, it was still a dangerous area, and lingering longer than needed could attract unwanted attention.

Once they finished, the two of them stepped out of the den and into the open forest again. Freya had already marked several possible paths that could’ve been taken by Luna during escape, and now she led the way toward the one that seemed most recent. The ground there showed faint disturbances that aligned with the direction they expected Luna to have taken.

They moved at a steady pace, scanning the surroundings as they went. Now that they were certain the Terror Wolf had left the den, and might be safe, there was no real objective forcing them to continue searching. Still, Freya didn’t turn back. There was a quiet determination in her steps, as if she needed confirmation that Luna had made it out safely.

Ren didn’t object. Moving through the area still gave him opportunities to deal with any Huntscale Vipers they encountered, and gain EXP. That made the effort worthwhile.

After some time, they came across a trail of blood.

It was nothing unusual and could’ve belonged to anyone. But what stood out wasn’t just the blood. It was the second trail beside it.

A Huntscale Viper trail, but this one was at least two meters thick. It seemed that this giant Huntscale Viper had been following whatever creature had been injured and bleeding.

“What do you think happened here?” Ren asked.

Freya remained strangely silent. She kept her eyes on the ground, following both trails with increasing focus. The air around her seemed to grow heavier, even though she hadn’t said a word.

They continued forward, following the intertwined trails. The blood droplets became more frequent, and signs of struggle began to appear. Crushed grass, broken patches of soil, and scattered impressions of large paws told a clear story of movement and resistance.

Then, suddenly, the blood trail stopped.

In its place was a large pool of dried blood. The ground around it was heavily disturbed, and the marks of the massive Huntscale Viper coiling and tightening around something were unmistakable.

Ren and Freya both stopped.

Neither of them spoke.

The scene in front of them didn’t leave much room for interpretation. The Terror Wolf had been trying to escape. The larger Huntscale Viper—which was possibly the Boss Monster of the Window, given its size—had followed it, caught up, and ended the chase here.

Freya’s hands clenched at her sides. Her fingers tightened until her knuckles turned pale.

She is going after the leader of Huntscale Vipers, Ren realized immediately. He quickly made a few calculations in his head. They had killed roughly twenty Huntscale Vipers since yesterday.

If the Window had one hundred Huntscale Vipers, then eighty were still alive. Moreover, the leader would definitely keep the stronger Huntscale Vipers around it as guard.

Can we fight the leader? No, can we reach the leader without having the entire army of Huntscale Vipers chase us? Ren thought.

Gentle Wind was powerful, but only for assassination. It wouldn’t help much in direct combat, since the Spell couldn’t determine enemies and allies. If he cast the Spell to a monster too close to him, he would end up breathing Gentle Wind too. He could hold his breath, but if the monster was too close, he would have to do physical exertion to dodge or block, which made holding breath difficult.

“Something feels off,” Freya said suddenly.

“What do you mean?” Ren turned to her.

“Terror Wolves are skilled hunters. If Luna was escaping, she should have been able to avoid leaving such obvious tracks. But she didn’t. The trail is clear enough for anything to follow. That doesn’t make sense,” she said.

Ren’s expression shifted slightly as he processed her words. She was right. A skilled hunter wouldn’t make such a basic mistake unless there was a reason.

“Maybe she couldn’t avoid it. If she was already injured or exhausted, controlling her movement might have been harder,” he said slowly.

“Even then, she would’ve tried to hide her trail. But nothing here points out to that. The trial was too easy to find, as if Luna wanted it to be found,” Freya replied.

Ren’s expression changed. He realized this might be related to the reason why the Terror Wolf stayed behind when its pack left.

Before Ren could respond, Freya suddenly turned her head toward the right, as if she had realized something. Without explaining, she started moving in that direction. Her pace increased quickly, shifting from a controlled walk to a faster stride.

“Freya,” Ren called out, but she didn’t slow down.

He immediately cast Wind Wrap and followed her, matching her speed. The two of them moved through the forest for several minutes, maintaining a steady pace until the terrain began to change slightly.

After around fifteen minutes, Freya slowed down and stopped in front of a natural cave. The entrance was partially hidden behind a large stone, though it was clear that it hadn’t always been that way. The cave itself was in the opposite direction where Luna’s trail had been moving.

“This is the cave where Luna and I first met. It used to be more hidden. The earthquake must have shifted things. But this stone…” She trailed off, her gaze narrowing.

“Someone placed it here to block the cave,” Ren finished for her.

Freya stepped forward and placed her hands against the rock, preparing to push. Ren cast Silent Veil over both of them and the stone, minimizing any noise they might make.

They pushed together, putting their full strength into it. The rock resisted at first, barely moving, but after a few seconds of effort, it shifted just enough to create a narrow gap.

As soon as the opening appeared, a foul smell of rotting flesh rushed out.

It hit both of them at once. Freya’s body stiffened for a moment, but she didn’t step back. Instead, she leaned forward and carefully slipped through the narrow gap. Ren followed right behind her, his Mana Zone already spreading through the space ahead.

The first thing he noticed inside was the bodies.

Several Huntscale Vipers lay scattered across the cave floor. Even in the dim light, the wounds on them were clear enough to read. Deep gashes, torn scales, and crushed sections of their bodies suggested they hadn’t been killed by another Viper. Ren studied the damage for a moment and then came to a quiet conclusion.

“These were killed by a Terror Wolf, probably Luna,” he said.

Freya nodded. Her attention had already moved past them.

Further inside, near the back of the cave, lay six small bodies.