Friction [32]

As the three leapt—well, Ichigo leapt while she carried Fanzer and Jin-Woo—through the Gate, a bone-chilling cold swept over the trio, brought by the frigid ice forest they found themselves in.

Ichigo slumped to the ground, the growling of her stomach making the backlash of her skill obvious.

Fanzer tiredly flared his mana, warming Jin-Woo and Ichigo. It wasn't a large difference, but it was something.

Jin-Woo stared at the Gate as it disappeared. He expected Kanae to appear, but it was clear that wasn't going to happen as the portal entirely vanished. His eyes lingered where the Gate once was.

The three sat there for a few minutes, catching their breaths. The fight with Yogumunt only lasted so long, but in such a short period of time so much happened.

Jin-Woo glanced at his hands, clenching them. Another minute or so passed, Jin-Woo rose, a chill running through him.

"We have to go back," Sung spoke seriously.

"What?" Fanzer uttered, confusion rising to his face. He slowly rose as well, extending a hand to Ichigo. She took it, leaning on Fanzer to keep herself standing. "What do you mean?"

Jin-Woo's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean, 'what do I mean?' I mean that we need to go back and save everyone."

Fanzer blinked, suddenly taken aback. "I'm sorry, what? You think they're alive?"

Jin-Woo's heart sped up. He remembered the scene, his chest hurt. "Well, if they are, they'll be in a dangerous spot right now. They'll need help if they've got any chance of surviving."

Fanzer blinked more, "That's stupid. We need to rest and regain our energy."

"Huh?" Jin-Woo's heart sped up more.

"I mean, just think about it, we clearly lost that fight. Even if we had some sort of advantage at first, that ended as soon as that dragon came in. With Yogumunt, that dragon, and those Perfected Constructs, we can't win. We need to replan and regroup before anything else," Fanzer shook his head, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Regroup with who?! We've got no idea where Cha, Goto, and Kanae even are!" Jin-Woo yelled, his volume rising before he could catch himself.

"Then we'll just catch our energy!" Fanzer shouted back, his breathing quickening.

"So, we just leave everyone else to die?!" Jin-Woo roared. "They're our allies! We can't just leave them!"

"So, what, huh?! We go play hero?! We make such amazingly heroic sacrifices that Yogumunt just decides to lay down and die?! In case you haven't fucking picked up on it yet, that isn't happening!" Fanzer shouted even louder, rage filling him. "Ichigo is exhausted, I'm out of energy, and you're weaponless! And whatever Yogumunt did to you, you can't even call your summons, I can tell!"

Jin-Woo opened his mouth to speak, but Fanzer continued. "If we go back now, we'll lose, we'll die! What's the point of that, huh?! So, we should—"

Jin-Woo interrupted him, "Well, he'd be dead if you two didn't stop me!"

Fanzer abruptly took a step back, his arm wrapped around Ichigo's waist. "Excuse me?"

Jin-Woo continued, "I was so close to killing Yogumunt, and if I did, we'd have a chance to be out of here already, but you two took that away!"

Fanzer's face morphed. "You think that would've killed him?! You think he would've really died to that shot? And even if he did, you would've died, goddammit! That dragon was on top of you!"

"It would be better if I died rather than all those Hunters dying! But look where—"

Jin-Woo was interrupted when Fanzer's fist slammed into his face, causing him to take a few steps backwards. "You'd be better off dead?! You'd leave your sister alone because you have some heroic dream of dying a martyr?!"

Jin-Woo clenched his jaw, his blood boiling. "And what's your great idea, huh?!"

Fanzer huffed, "If you haven't been paying attention, we need to rest first and foremost!"

Jin-Woo scoffed, "And what if he comes for us anyways?! This is his world, if you haven't picked up on that yet! I'm pretty sure he could find us either way! If he wanted us dead, we'd be dead!"

Fanzer let out a puff of air, "I don't know what we'll do then. But it's better to run from our deaths than to run towards them! There's absolutely no way for us to win against him, not right now. We need time to rest and make a new plan!"

Jin-Woo clenched his jaw. "I can win, I know I can!"

"How, huh?!"

"I get stronger by killing monsters! If I can kill enough of them, I can kill him myself! And with every kill, I'll get a summon! We just have to knock one down and the rest will crumble!" Jin-Woo said, causing Fanzer to shake his head.

"If you suddenly forgot, you probably can't even make new summons! And even if you do get stronger by killing monsters, it would be much smarter to put you up against an opponent who is stronger than you without jumping against several of them, that's still a death wish!"

Jin-Woo was quiet for a moment before turning away. "Fine. You both go rest, but I won't do the same. I can't do the same."

Fanzer grabbed Jin-Woo's wrist. "No, you can't."

Jin-Woo turned back, his eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?!"

"I won't let you just walk into your death! Yogumunt is too powerful for you to handle on your own! You need us with you," Fanzer huffed, but his words caused Jin-Woo's heart to pound in his ears, blood rushing through him.

He yanked his arm back, growling. "I don't need you two. I can handle this on my own. I don't need anyone but myself."

Fanzer blinked, rage suddenly finding its place on his face. "Oh really? You don't need us? So, you could've won against Lycaon? You would've survived against Yogumunt when he attacked your sister? You could've even survived without us?!"

Jin-Woo turned away, starting to walk away. He didn't listen to Fanzer's words. He only stopped when he sensed Fanzer's mana rising behind him.

"I will not let you walk to your death, even if that means forcing you to stay here," Fanzer spoke quietly, Lightning Lances forming in his hands.

Jin-Woo slowly turned back, his golden eyes glowing under the shadow of his face. "And who said you can stop me?"

As their different auras rose with every passing moment, both sides squared off to fight the other. Jin-Woo pulled his hands up while Fanzer prepared to launch a Lightning Lance.

However, as they started moving, Ichigo's voice halted them. She was quiet, disturbingly so, but what was truly worrying was how defeated she sounded.

"Don't fight, it won't help us. Jin-Woo, please. That monster is strong. You'll die on your own. It's freezing out here, and you can't even use your mana to stay warm. You may not even make it to Yogumunt, let alone beat him. This is just suicide."

Jin-Woo turned around, his expression masked. "I will make it. He'll pay for what he's done, he has to."

Fanzer roared as Jin-Woo walked through the snow, but the sound was drowned out as he walked away.

As Jin-Woo got further and further away, the crunch of the snow and blowing of the wind filled the forest's eerie silence. Jin-Woo kept his senses tuned, trying to ignore the cavalcade of thoughts and doubts and hesitation flowing through him. He shivered, the cold forming frost as he breathed.

"Ugh, I don't need them. My ability as a Necromancer allows me to fight on my own, I don't need others to fight," Jin-Woo scoffed, doubt rising within himself.

He didn't vocalize it, didn't even want to acknowledge it, but he wondered if he was wrong for what he did. Even worse, he wondered if he even could kill Yogumunt.

He pondered the thought for a moment before—

His hand snapped up, catching an ice arrow mid-air, a warning from Advanced Observation barely noticing the attack. The frost spread to his hand before he crushed it, his mana-soaked hand doing little to deter the freezing temperatures. He followed the arrow's trajectory to see an ice elf standing on a branch.

The elf waved coyly before leaping away, disappearing into the trees.

"Hyakki, damn bastards," Jin-Woo groaned.

Jin-Woo pulled up his status screen, glaring at it. He had points to spend, he knew that. But he knew that earlier as well.

By the time he killed Xuan Zang, he had 35 points after leveling up seven times. With his stats, the choice would've been simplistic in the moment. He could've dumped all the points into Agility or Intelligence immediately. Either option would've changed the flow of the battle.

But he didn't do it. Why? Why didn't he do it?

A black hole of doubt settled within his stomach.

He knew why he didn't do it. Fear. He feared it wouldn't make any difference.

Yes, the fear settled deep within his gut was immovable and unignorable. The weight of his mistakes was suddenly pilling on top of him. It was real already, yes, but it suddenly became tangible.

Cha Hae-In was probably dead. Even thinking she was just "probably" dead was blind hope, helpless hope.

Igris and Tempest were gone. His summons, his allies, and oddly enough, his friends. They were his closest friends, consistent pillars of loyalty and power. And yet, they were just gone. Poof, vanished, sent to the Void.

And Ichigo and Fanzer were gone, entirely because of his actions. He left. And it was his fault.

What the hell could he even do?

Get stronger, a small nigh-insignificant part of him thought. Even if everything had gone to… well, he understood that he still had to move forward, whether he truly wanted to or not. He absentmindedly started allocating his points. He didn't feel much need to properly think about it, he was aware where his biggest weaknesses lied.

[Due to Agility hitting 150, you have received a new skill.]

[Divine Kitsune's Tempo | Lv. Max]

When a kitsune gathers its ninth tail, it transcends and reaches a state of divinity. The body's speed and efficiency are raised with this new state of being, allowing the user to do feats previously impossible. Energy will gather and travel through the body faster than before.

200% Increase to Movement Speed, Attack Speed, and Reaction Time.

150% Increase to the Effects of Agility-based skills.

15% Increase to MP and HP Regeneration.

[Due to Vitality hitting 100, you have received a new skill.]

[Elder Werewolf's Vitality | Lv. Max]

Werewolves rarely live to become elders due to their battle-oriented way of living. However, those that do survive for so long grow formidable powers of regeneration. The body has an incredible way of fighting to keep itself alive against all odds.

15% Increase to HP Regeneration, Physical Damage Defense, and Stamina.

50% Increase to Efficiency of Defensive skills.

Jin-Woo felt his body shift in a difficult-to-explain way. He could feel more energy flowing through him faster than before, making him more attentive than before. He glanced at his status screen, seeing his HP rising at a far faster rate than before. Even his MP regeneration had gotten a boost from Tempo, allowing that to regenerate quicker.

In just a few minutes, Jin-Woo's status bars were full again and he was ready to brawl. He glanced at his status screen.

[Name: Sung Jin-Woo]

[Level: -58]

[Class: Necromancer]

[Title: Black Wizard]

[Soul Attribute: ????]

[HP: 10,000]

[MP: 15,000]

[Strength: 115]

[Dexterity: 66]

[Agility: 150]

[Vitality: 100]

[Intelligence: 115]

[Faith: 60]

[Luck: 59]

[Status Points: 0]

For a moment, he felt a bit better. He was still getting stronger, despite all the chaos that seemed to be erupting around him. But that feeling faded away, leaving an odd emptiness within the Hunter.

Before he could even accept or think about the emotions swirling within him, he heard a deep, rumbling growl.

A scarred, beastly ice bear approached through the trees. Behind the monster was its pack, several of them skulking through the darkness. Furthermore, it wasn't just ice bears. Ice wolves, yetis, and—most worryingly—hyakki were all around.

Jin-Woo took a deep breath, his eyes dark. He leapt into the air, pushing off a sturdy branch and coming down atop the scarred ice bear's head. His fist slammed into the beast, causing its head to crumble under the pressure. Snow shot into the air as Sung stood on the monster's corpse.

He couldn't smile. Despite his new power, he only felt annoyed at the monsters.

He glared at his opponents, "It would be better if you all laid down and died. But I guess we'll just do this the hard way."

He disappeared, monster blood painting the snow red.

However, the fight wasn't completely one-sided. With several hyakki and yetis around, Sung was forced to play smart if he wished to survive.

Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling in the mood to play smart.

He bulldozed through his opposition, relying on his raw reflexes and strength to guide him through. As a result of this choice, Jin-Woo stood on a pile of bodies with a series of his own injuries.

He huffed as he sat on the corpse of an oversized ice bear, pain shooting through his chest. He glanced at the screens that littered his vision.

[Three of the Player's ribs have been broken. They will be restored in 48 hours.]

[The Player's right wrist has been broken. It will be restored in 48 hours.]

[The Player's ankle has been broken. It will be restored in 48 hours.]

Compared to what Lycaon had done to him, this was far worse. Even though he'd grown since then, it seemed he was in a much more dire situation. He tsked and sighed, pain racing through him like electricity.

Above him, in one of the many trees that had been splattered with blood, a tired voice rung out playfully.

"You look a day away from death. Not that I can actually see you, but I can tell."

Jin-Woo's head shot towards the voice, allowing him to see Kanae leaning up against the tree's trunk. As he ignored the pain in his body, he observed Kanae's condition.

She was bloodied-up, her shirt was torn into unprotective strips, and she looked generally exhausted. However, that was second to what he noticed immediately.

The first thing he noticed was her eyes. Her pupils were white, while her irises were a much duller version of their earlier blood-red. Even though he was looking into her eyes, it was clear to him that she couldn't see him, just as she said.

"Do you know where we are?" Jin-Woo questioned, uncaring of how he must've sounded to the Japanese Hunter.

Kanae let out an exasperated huff, smiling. "Ah, not even asking about my injuries, how heroic. All about the objective, huh?" She shook her head. "But yes, I do know where we are, even if I am blind now."

Jin-Woo Observed her, confirming the absence of her Soul Attribute. He clenched his jaw. "How'd you survive Yogumunt taking your Soul Attribute?"

Kanae's eyes widened slightly before her expression relaxed. She shrugged nonchalantly, "My Soul Attribute is connected to Mana of Death, and I have a feeling he got a little bit more than he was asking for. I got away when it backfired for him."

Sung shook his head, focusing on his goal. "I need you to show me how to get back to where we are."

Kanae laughed, "Ha-ha. Yeah, nope."

The Necromancer opened his mouth to speak, but Kanae continued. "You're in a worse condition than I am. And I can tell just looking at you—heh—that you're being reckless. You couldn't take down—what did you call him, again? Ah, Yogumunt—even if all the stars aligned in your favor."

Jin-Woo's gaze sharpened. "I don't need to rest, I'm fine."

Before he could say what was happening, his feet were taken out from underneath him, causing him to land face-first in a plush mountain of white fur. He tried to quickly rise from his spot but ended up putting far too much pressure on his broken wrist, causing him to fall straight back down.

"If a blind, half-dead human like me can put you down, no way in hell you're facing a monster like that. Rest. I'll give you an hour, and during it, I'll protect you."

Jin-Woo barely turned his head up, looking at the woman standing above him. She lightly laughed at his expression.

"Ha. I don't need a Soul Attribute to take down some easy monsters like these. Yetis and hyakki are nothing. Death's Blessing is more than enough," Kanae sighed nonchalantly, trailing a finger over her blade's edge.

Jin-Woo looked up at her, opening his mouth and wisely deciding to watch his words. He thought before speaking. "What about the others?"

Kanae blinked, her eyes becoming distant. She closed her eyes and shrugged. "Those guys… are tough. But they could also be dead. However, realism isn't always reality. After all, we're both living examples of… death. Not very realistic at all, huh?"

Jin-Woo began relaxing a bit. For some reason, Kanae's words meant a lot to him.

"They'll live. But it's our job to kill Yogumunt. After your beauty sleep, expect a world of pain. We've got a boss to kill," Kanae said, and as Jin-Woo's eyes started to close he could hear the growling of incoming monsters. "Sleep. I've got this."

It felt like he was on his bed, in his air-conditioned room, and as he was drifting away, he couldn't help but think:

This wouldn't be a bad if….