“Drip, drip, drip─! The stones embedded in the ground rose up in jagged clumps. Between them, something dark green slithered like snakes, then launched skyward together like dozens of spear blades. Isabella slammed her axe down with a thud, cleaving thick vines with a sharp “shrick” that sent them tumbling across the floor. But only for a moment. Thin tendrils sprouted from the severed vines and struck again, even as Isabella swung her axe aflame toward them. A freezing mist surged in. Isabella leapt back, glancing at Park Yerim. Yerim paid it no mind—she froze all of the vines solid, then swung her spear to draw moisture from the air. Clink, clink, clink—the ice spears that formed midair rained down on Cho Hwa-un and the other hunters. Hwa-un drew his sword in a wide arc; the ice shattered with a cacophony in every direction. The first assault was blocked, but new ice spears formed around Yerim. More transparent blades flew toward the enemy, and Isabella, stepping forward to strike, paused midstride and withdrew her foot. She shot an irritated look at Yerim. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩 “What are you doing?” “Fighting, aren’t we?” “You’re in the way. It’s pointless.” “Pointless? I’ve tied them down!” “Do you not see everything’s blocked? You’re hurling those spears aimlessly, so I can’t get in.” “Why can’t you get in? Just time your attack.” “Isn’t that your job—to time and support me? You’re long-range!” “I know all melee fighters I’ve teamed with do fine—except you!” Yerim and Isabella glared at each other in disbelief, and Noah and Samir looked helpless. Yerim had never needed to adapt to others before. Usually Han Yujin used his Teach Skill, and in the Chat Erbox party she fought alongside Song Taewon, who had more PvP experience than anyone. She rarely had to rein herself in. Isabella was similar. She seldom teamed with other hunters for dungeon raids, and after being recognized as S-rank she traveled with Samir, who matched her pace. As the unofficial #1 in the Middle East, she rarely needed cooperation. As the two clashed, Cho Hwa-un twisted his body and evaded an ice spear, then charged at them. Yerim erected an ice wall in front of the sword’s path—and Isabella swung her axe at the blade. The axe cleaved through the ice wall but lost speed crashing into the sword; the bit of the blade corroded away with a pssh. “Ugh, stop hindering me!” “If you’d stayed put, I’d have blocked it!” “You’re both a mess.” “Children, really.” Hwa-un sneered. Yerim and Isabella’s eyes flared—yet their timing remained off. Amid the spray of ice and water, Peace, in liquid form, solidified into his true beastly shape. Noah began partial water transformation to intervene when— “Healers are a nuisance.” A hunter slid in behind Noah. At once Peace bounded forward, silent and without growl. Flame Horn Lion fur ablaze, his claws slashed the air. A vine sprang up before the hunter he targeted; Peace stepped on it, spread his wings, and lifted off. With a rumbling roar, the massive beast plunged into the hunter. Thud! A shield of entwined branches ignited and crumbled to ash. As Peace fought the hunter, Noah cast a forced support skill on Cho Hwa-un. The moment Hwa-un faltered, Yerim and Isabella, poised to strike, both hesitated. Hwa-un regained composure, slipped between them, and lunged toward Noah. “Why didn’t you attack!” “I thought you would!” Isabella hurled her axe at Hwa-un. The blade spun and embedded in the floor with a thud! Yerim struck him with a precise ice spear as he dodged the axe. “Yes, I hit him this time!” But that was the only success. The two continued to clash at cross purposes. Both were skilled enough to hold Hwa-un at bay, but no more—and Noah found support difficult. Peace, facing a lone hunter, excelled more. ‘I need to use Nest.’ If she donned the glowing Nest, she could win easily—but the cooldown was long. If they hesitated and Hyunjae remained missing, they’d be in deeper danger. Noah hovered, maintaining only Mana Conductor. The man among the hunters shouted—and the ground trembled. A pale gray glow erupted. Instantly Yerim’s and Isabella’s skills cut off; respiring, Yerim landed, Isabella’s stats plummeted. Noah’s water form reverted; Peace lost wings and flame. As the glow vanished, the hunters who’d been waiting surged forward. Isabella ground her teeth and struck Hwa-un’s sword aside; her axe blade dented again. “We can’t fly! Yerim, me, or Peace!” “W-What is this? Our skills...” Panicked, Yerim asked Samir, who explained briefly. Yerim slammed her hands on the ground and shouted: “Just five minutes! No, three!” Isabella hefted her axe. Noah drew his weapon; Samir gripped his spear. Peace, stripped of flames but still majestic as S-rank monster, roared. “Noah, healing skill?” “I wasn’t using it—yes, I can use it.” Isabella charged into the hunters. Her axe swung in broad arcs, weapon and skill raining down on her body. Dark mana pulsed through her wounds; a blood-tinged whirlwind blasted outward. Hunters hit by the gale were flung back. Her great axe vanished; in its place she wielded a pair of crescent-curved blades. The twin shotels danced in a lethal ballet. Battle-support skill that trades wounds for heightened stats and weapon power. Alone, Isabella engaged multiple hunters while Noah protected Yerim, who focused on mana. “Are you charging again, Prince?” Cho Hwa-un coldly addressed Samir, who stood guard. “I’ve rolled with hits long enough.” Hwa-un lunged his sword sharply. Even wounded, Samir’s reflexes were swift: his body dipped and slid across the floor, spinning behind Hwa-un. “Dodging’s pretty familiar too.” Samir tossed a dagger at Hwa-un’s throat. Kwang—the dagger bounced into the air. For a moment the scent of blood, clashing weapons, snarls, and screams blended. With Yerim’s shout the ground rumbled again—and then: A tremendous surge of water erupted. Yerim had drawn it from the nearby lake via subterranean streams, extending her mana to the limit. She grinned, drenched in sweat, as torrents flooded the clearing. Some streams embraced Peace, Noah, Isabella, and Samir. The overflow swept away all the invaders, leaving only waterlogged ground where they had stood. Whoosh! The rapids raced across the wasteland. Yerim emerged at last, pulling the hunters to safety. A normal person would have drowned, but all were S-rank—they’d taken in only a little water. Peace shook himself off and growled discontentedly—unable to use skills, he couldn’t shake off the wet. “I can’t Materialize. I can’t even deploy wings.” Noah cast healing on Isabella’s wounds. “All skills we were using have been disabled.” “Same here. You couldn’t use ice but you manipulated water—what happened?” “...Because it wasn’t a skill?” Yerim replied to Isabella. “My powers are freezing, flight, teleportation. Water manipulation isn’t technically a skill.” “Um...I’m not sure how to explain it, but yes.” It was an innate ability passed down from the Water Queen. Yerim wrung out her wet clothes, frowning. “Could it be system-related?” “That’s...just talking to myself!” She lacked both knowledge and certainty to explain. Yerim looked at Samir’s and Isabella’s wounds. The force that worsened wounds and corrupted weapons seemed more than a simple skill—it felt tied to the system, like how Chat Erbox manipulated it. “If Director Song were here it’d be fine!” He’d have noticed and explained. Isabella tilted her head. “Hunter Han Yujin is F-rank—a normal person, but stronger than most A-ranks. He wouldn’t have helped much in combat.” “He was weak, yes. But if he’d been here you and I wouldn’t have clashed. Everything would’ve been resolved!” Samir nodded in agreement. Isabella and Samir exchanged surprised glances—though they’d witnessed much, understanding Han Yujin’s value was hard. “So where to now? We must join Han Yuhyun and contact Director Song. Hyuna unnie will arrive by tomorrow. Noah, what about Riette unnie?” “She’s probably still in France—helping Hunter Kang Soyeong search, since rumor of the Sesung Guild Master’s marriage came from Europe.” “First, let’s borrow a vehicle.” Isabella twisted her long hair. “There’s no one around here.” “There are unauthorized mid-rank hunters and mercenaries on this route. We can borrow one.” “Unauthorized? Perfect! They’ll have phones, right? Ours washed away.” If we flew we could find one easily. Yerim lamented and stepped forward, mud splashing from the wet ground. A chill swept her brow—no, her whole body. She’d fallen asleep near the hearth, yet felt freezing. ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) Head pounding, she opened her eyes to see Gyeol’s worried face. “You have a high fever.” It was cold because she had a fever. A feverish chill. Gyeol touched her forehead. “The Harmless King said to rest well if you were sick.” “It’s from fatigue. I’ve had colds before.” She tried to sit up; her vision spun. Gyeol pressed her shoulder firmly, stern. “But... number 71—is how much time passed?” “According to your world, 17 hours, 21 minutes, 33 seconds have passed.” Nearly a day had gone by! Hyun Yuhyun’s group must have reached the airport long ago! “Gyeol, wait—let me go leave a mark.” She was too weak to move alone. Gyeol thought, then nodded. “You must come right back. Otherwise I’ll find Uncle.” “No! That’s dangerous. Instead, let’s write a letter.” So no one else could identify the author. Song Taewon was coming; he’d recognize. If Yuhyun or Yerim found it, they’d ask Song and he’d know. “’Director Song Taewon: Father has a fever and is under number 71’s care. I’ll return in a few days—don’t worry.’” Few knew about #71. Song Taewon would guess. They hung three letters: on a Rudolph ornament’s antler, on a snowman’s nose, on a gift box’s ribbon. Then Gyeol transformed into a cat and slipped outside. The area was still a wreck under night’s silence. Gyeol placed the ornaments here and there, then flew back, carrying her, wings folded. Thanks to Gyeol, she returned to the sitting room without drowning. “Now rest well. I brought instant meals.” They were the meals she’d stashed. Worried about them, she chose to trust they were safe. Everyone would be fine. She needed to recover quickly and leave before Christmas.