"Uwaaack!" Oh Dae-Sik spat out a mouthful of blood. He grabbed his throbbing left side.

'Is the broken rib stabbing my gut?'

His complexion quickly darkened. As the Guild Master of the Blue Guild, it was hard to believe the current situation. If it was a dream, he wanted to wake up.

'The whole guild is out here, but we can't even defeat a single monster.’

He even recently gained an A-grade skill related to swordsmanship, so he had been confident in fighting anyone.

"Magicians! What are you guys doing not holding it down?!”

"The monster can't be held down! It’s too strong! It definitely can’t be held down!"

"Move the wounded to the back, and when Finn comes, he can lock it in an illusion barrier, and we can run away by then!"

"Hold on until then!"

But they couldn’t hold on anymore… They weren’t confident against that monstrous troll, who had casually withstood the guild members' onslaught.

"Master… No, Hyung-nim! Are you all right?" asked Vice Master Choi Kyung-Hoon.

Choi Kyung-Hoon had always been by Oh Dae-Sik’s side even when they were still on the 1st floor. He hurriedly poured a potion on Oh Dae-Sik’s wound.

'But it doesn’t matter with just potions…’

There was no way Oh Dae-Sik wouldn’t know. The injury looked like bruises on the outside, but inside, the broken bones were definitely piercing his internal organs.

"What about Finn?" Oh Dae-Sik questioned.

"He is coming up. I don't know why, but I think reinforcements are also coming."

"What a funny guy... He should just do what I told him properly… Cough!"

After vomiting blood again, Oh Dae-Sik's face turned darker. He felt that the flame of the candle signifying his life was burning out by the minute. His eyes turned toward the mutant troll.

"Just what the hell is that guy?"

"Is that important? Don't open your mouth! Your internal injuries will become worse."

How foolish, there was something more important than his wounds right now. Oh Dae-Sik shook off the Vice Master’s worries and got up.

"Are you crazy? Sit down right now! You really are going to die this time."

“We’ve known each other for a long time…"

It had been fifteen years since Oh Dae-Sik received his Player license. Back then, he was so happy that he jumped about on the spot. After going through his first Gate, however, he started panicking and wondered whether this was really his calling. It was then that he met Choi Kyung-Hoon.

"There’s nothing for us to be afraid of if we’re together.”

"What the hell are you talking about? The times we almost died should be in the hundreds by now…”

Oh Dae-Sik had overcome many hardships with Choi Kyung-Hoon by his side. However, no matter how hard he tried to predict how this current situation would play out, it seemed impossible for them to survive through this predicament this time around.

"Take the kids and go down."

"If you keep saying nonsense, I'll knock you out!"

"Vice Master, no, Kyung-Hoon. Listen to me."

Oh Dae-Sik's voice became more serious.

"That thing… if you keep letting the kids deal with it, they'll really die."

Including him, most of the combatants were already seriously injured. Right now, there were only about 18 people fighting and holding the mutant troll back.

‘It was too much even for over 20 first-tier fighters. Those kids can never hunt it by themselves.'

It would be the same even if Finn came up. Choi Kyung-Hoon had instilled false hope in the kids.

‘Finn's Illusion Field? It won’t last even more than a few seconds against that guy.’

That was how great of a monster it was. It had been a very long time since he felt goosebumps against an enemy since he came up here from the 1st floor.

“If that monster was on the 1st floor, the Gate where it resided would have probably received three stars by now.”

It would have been a monster-like Gate of the same class as the ‘Winter Castle Gate,’ which had been cleared a few months ago.

"I'll try my best to stall for time."

"…Are you serious?”

Oh Dae-Sik nodded slowly at Choi Kyung-Hoon's firm question.

"Huu, all right. I knew I'd go through this one day if I stayed by your side." Choi Kyung-Hoon let out a big sigh and then stood up with his spear. "The only problem is that I didn't know that it would be today."

"Don't be stubborn and go down. If you’re not around, who’ll lead the kids?"

"Hyung-nim, it’s only you who calls them kids. They're all professionals over 20 years old, so you don't have to worry about them."

A faint smile formed on Oh Dae-Sik's mouth as he looked at Choi Kyung-Hoon while the latter was complaining.

'I'm sorry and grateful...’

Choi Kyung-Hoon was a man who was going to lie down with Oh Dae-Sik in his grave. If Oh Dae-Sik died and met the King of the Underworld, he would be able to say to the King of the Underworld that he was blessed to have such great people around him.

"Everyone, back off!"

The Guild members, who had been trying their best all this time, turned their heads at Choi Kyung-Hoon's shout.

"Is Finn here?"

"I can't see him. He's not here yet."

"Why is he telling us to back off...”

Despite the doubt, the Guild members slowly retreated. They had also realized that they were already at their limits; they couldn’t continue the battle anymore.

"We’re going down the mountain at full speed. Don't even look back."

"…What?"

"And immediately afterward, report what happened here to the Player Association… No, report to the Big 6 that an unbelievably strong monster is living in the Twin Mountains."

Only then did the Guild members realize that their Guild Master and Vice Master were preparing to die just to save their lives.

"B-But...”

"Go!"

When Oh Dae-Sik raised his magic and shouted, the Guild members bit their lips.

"You are not running away. You’re just following orders."

He said those lines so that they wouldn’t have a guilty conscience. They felt more at ease, but at the same time, they felt sorry and grief to the point that they found it hard to move.

“Damned it! Everyone! Each of us shall carry one injured person on their back!"

A veteran Guild member carried an injured person on his back. He understood better than anyone else that surviving was how they could help their Guild Master and Vice Master. He looked at the two people with blazing eyes and warned them.

"I'll drop them off in a safe place and come back. Until then... don't die. Both of you.”

"All right. We'll have hunted this guy by then."

"Bring me a bottle of alcohol when you come. Preferably soju."

The man who looked at the two people smirking on the verge of death disappeared with the other Players.

"…Well, what do we do now? They really left.”

"Why are you asking me that? I definitely tried to stop you."

The two men looked up at the mutant troll. The mutant troll didn't bother to chase the fleeing Guild members. It just looked at the two people walking toward it.

"What a strange guy…”

"It gives me the creeps."

The mutant troll acted as if it was a ‘person’. It was their first time dealing with a troll like this.

‘Especially those eyes...’

Oh Dae-Sik looked into the eyes of the mutant troll. It was an eye that gave a feeling closer to a person than a monster.

"I'm in front, you're behind."

"It's always the same thing. Aren't you tired of it?"

Choi Kyung-Hoon got in position even as he complained.

‘At most, three times...’

Oh Dae-Sik clenched his sword as immense pain burned throughout his body. He could at most swing his sword three times. Even now, he was barely holding on with his mental strength.

‘After that, I can only leave it to heaven...’

Oh Dae-Sik and Choi Kyung-Hoon kicked off the floor and ran forward.

'It feels good.’

Oh Dae-Sik’s sword shone yellow. It was the essence of his 15 years as a Player. It was a neat and clear sword ki produced by a middle-aged man with ordinary talent.

‘It's light.’

Was this the surge of energy one would feel when they were right before death? His body felt lighter than ever. The sword in his hand moved more freely than anything.

“…!”

It was to the extent that Choi Kyung-Hoon, who was watching the sword strike from behind, was surprised for a moment.

‘Did he get enlightenment right at the brink of death?’

It was both impressive and unfortunate. One more day… No, half a day sooner, and things would have been very different.

Swoosh!

A lightly extended sword quickly sliced at the mutant troll.

'It couldn't block it. It was so fast that it couldn't even react!’

Running close to being parallel to the ground, Choi Kyung-Hoon moved up. Being right behind Oh Dae-Sik, he was perfectly in the troll’s blind spot.

Crack!

An unexpected and strong spear strike pierced the mutant troll’s heart. Choi Kyung-Hoon had a feeling that it went in properly.

"It’s ove—"

But he couldn’t finish his words...

Boooom!

The mutant troll’s fist struck him. He hurriedly raised his guard, but his arms bent as easily as straw.

‘This crazy monster bastard…!’

Choi Kyung-Hoon was sent flying through the air before colliding against a tree. He found himself stuck in a tree before vomiting blood. As his eyes became increasingly blurry, he could see the mutant troll casually pulling out the spear in its heart.

Thud.

After dropping the spear, the mutant troll’s wound healed rather quickly. Trolls were famous for their excellent regenerative power, but it was certainly not to that extent.

‘It's truly... a mutant...’

The moment Choi Kyung-Hoon lost consciousness, Oh Dae-Sik sword was about to send his second sword strike.

'You can't kill it just by stabbing the heart…’

You had to decapitate it. Only by separating its head from its body could you say that you killed it.

"Heup!"

It was a faster, more powerful move than any sword strike he had ever used in his life.

Claaaaang!

However, it wasn’t enough. The sword and the creature's neck collided, but only the sound of metal clashing against metal could be heard.

‘It’s shallow…!’

His sword managed to dig into the mutant troll’s neck, but it was only about 5 millimeters.

“...”

His fierce eyes focused on the mutant troll’s calm figure. The next moment, the world turned upside down.

"Uwaaaack!"

His whole body shook. The broken sword that had fallen right next to him seemed as if it was bidding him farewell.

"Master! Vice Master!"

Then, a familiar voice rang amidst his dimming consciousness.

‘Finn...! Did he not meet with the main group?’

He knew that the Guild members would run into Finn as they went down. But the heavens were indifferent, and it seemed that Finn didn’t manage to come across the main group.

"Five…? Not four people?"

There were a total of five people in his sight. Oh Dae-Sik thought of something.

‘Come to think of it... You said you'd bring reinforcements.’

But no matter how much he looked around, there were only five people in sight. Oh Dae-Sik closed his eyes.

‘The reinforcement’s only one person?’

It was a meaningless number against this monster. At least 50... No, 100 people should be brought over in order to properly fight, not hunt this monster.

"Illusion Field!"

When Finn's cry reverberated, the mutant troll’s eyes became murky. It had fallen into an illusion barrier created by his Illusion Field skill.

‘But it won't last long…’

It was all because he didn’t use it properly. Instead of hiding before using it, he used it right in front of the monster. Unless the mutant troll was a fool, it would easily deduce that it had fallen into an illusion.

"Master! Are you okay?"

"Where did all the other Guild members go?”

While Finn was sweating in an effort to maintain his skill, the three Guild members rushed up and took care of Oh Dae-Sik.

"Cough... How’s Kyung-Hoon…?”

"His arms are broken. It’ll be difficult to set his bones back together, but he’s fine. He just fainted."

He was relieved when he heard that Choi Kyung-Hoon didn’t suffer any severe injury. Oh Dae-Sik ordered the three Guild members.

"Finn's skill… will be released soon. Take Finn and Kyung-Hoon down the mountain."

"What about you, Master?"

"Someone needs to hold it back. You'll be safe if you can at least get to the village."

He didn't know why, but that mutant troll had always stayed on this mountain.

"Uh… But we brought one person as reinforcement.”

"He's really strong."

"The mutant troll’s not an ordinary monster, you brats."

Oh Dae-Sik frowned in frustration. Of course, he had the same thought as them until this morning. However, he realized the moment he faced it himself that the mutant troll wasn’t a monster a normal Player could touch.

"And there's only one person you brought in as reinforcement. With that number...”

"But he's Player Seo Jun-Ho.”

"…What?"

Oh Dae-Sik's expression turned sour. Player Seo Jun-Ho?

"Isn’t he the person I told you to stop from coming up the mountain?"

Seo Jun-Ho was Specter’s proxy and a promising rookie. Oh Dae-Sik even heard rumors about Seo Jun-Ho’s great feats in the Kobold Hunting Competition held in Gilleon.

'You brats... What are you trying to do… I told you to keep an eye on him, but you brought him up instead!'

This meant that they had also put Player Seo Jun-Ho in danger. As far as Oh Dae-Sik knew, Seo Jun-Ho wasn’t even level 100 and was just a chick who had debuted two years ago.

Boom!

At that moment, the mutant troll stomped its feet out of the blue.

"Damn it!"

Finn let out a scream. The mutant troll had smashed his Illusion Field apart in the same way as Seo Jun-Ho had done.

"What… what a monster!”

"Even though I used it openly, still...”

"It shattered it quicker than Player Seo Jun-Ho?”

“...”

The mutant troll looked around. After escaping the illusion, it noticed the increased number of humans. But its gaze stopped at one person—the one who smelled the most dangerous.

"This is a little unexpected..."

Seo Jun-Ho spoke as he saw the wary mutant troll. The energy coming from the mutant troll was stronger than any other monster he had ever encountered since coming up to Frontier.