The monster roared, its mouth wide open, unleashing a foul stench that rippled through the air around it.
Paul felt it—sharp and putrid, burning in his nostrils, making him gag.
It looked like a massive ape, its thick white fur blending almost perfectly into the snowstorm.
Jagged fangs curled outward from its jaws, ready to tear apart anything in its path.
Its arms—longer than its own body and eerily thin—moved slowly, deliberately, like it was savoring the moment before it struck.
Paul, still half-fallen and barely managing to get to his feet, stared wide-eyed at the beast.
His breath came in short, panicked gasps. His body trembled violently.
In that moment—he could do nothing.
Death felt close. Too close. And the thought of fighting back had already slipped from his mind.
Just as the creature's massive jaws were about to clamp down on his body—
"SHUUUUUM!"
A sudden vortex of wind swirled into existence.
"DUAKKK!"
Something slammed into the monster's face—hard.
"DOOMMM!"
The beast was hurled sideways, crashing into the snow. White powder burst into the air.
It wasn't flung far... but far enough to save Paul's life.
Paul still didn't move. His vision was blurred. The world felt like it was floating. He was sure—that had been the end.
His body refused to rise. Even breathing took effort.
Then, faintly—from somewhere—he heard a voice.
"Pau… Pa... Paul… PAUL!!"
It was Julius.
Suddenly, Julius was at his side, shaking him.
"PAUL! WAKE UP!" he shouted, panicked.
Paul blinked. His breath came in short, painful gasps.
"Eh… Julius...? Why are you… here?"
His voice was faint, barely conscious.
"Thud… Thud—"
The ground trembled beneath them. Paul snapped back to full awareness.
The monster—wasn't dead.
Both of them turned.
The creature was slowly rising. Its eyes glowed a deep, burning red. Each breath it exhaled came out in thick clouds of mist. The wound on its face Barely visible. As if the earlier blow had meant nothing. It stood tall—fifteen meters of raw, monstrous power.
Snow slid off the monster's shoulders.
Then—it smiled.
A wide, grotesque grin tore across its horrifying face. That smile wasn't just rage.
It was mockery. The way a predator looks at prey that has no hope of escape.
Julius and Paul froze. Their bodies were locked in place. No movement.
Only the sound of wind... and the thunder of their own heartbeats filling the silence.
"Run, Paul…"
Julius's voice cracked through the stillness—quiet, but sharp like a blade. His eyes widened, his face tightened, and a nervous smile stretched across his lips.
Cold sweat dripped from his temple down to his jaw.
Paul turned toward him. His body was still trembling. Shock in his eyes—undeniable.
"Huh…?"
"When I draw its attention… you run."
"B-but I can't—"
"LISTEN TO ME, PAUL!"
Julius roared. His voice cut like thunder through the storm. His breathing was erratic, his chest rising and falling fast.
"You'll only slow me down if you stay. If you run now, there's still a chance you can live."
"…But if you stay, I won't be able to save you again like I did before."
Julius stared deep into Paul's eyes.
"If that thing decides to really attack… you'll die. You won't even understand what happened."
"But I can st—"
"You don't get it, Paul."
His voice dropped—calmer, but heavier. Grounded in something darker.
"You have no idea what you're dealing with right now."
He took a deep breath. His eyes didn't blink.
"That monster… It's not just any monster."
"Its name is—Norrak."
"Normally, they're never seen. But today... We're unlucky."
"Just one is enough to spell disaster."
Paul glanced toward the creature—a towering white giant, barely visible through the mist, watching them in silence.
"But it's just one—"
Then, Paul froze. His eyes widened in sudden realization.
Julius snapped his head toward Paul. Their eyes met. Julius's gaze—sharp. Serious. No room for doubt.
"Yes, one… for now."
Silence. He paused.
Something in his voice cracked—hesitation.
"If it's just one, I might be able to distract it. That should… b-be enough time for you to run."
"But if we just stand here…"
"And they start gathering… when that happens—"
Julius swallowed hard. His breath quickened.
"…We'll die. That's all there is to it."
No uncertainty in his voice now. His eyes didn't blink—still locked on Norrak.
"Then what about you?" Paul asked, his voice trembling.
"I…"
Julius inhaled sharply—choosing his words.
"…I'll run after you."
Their eyes locked again. Then Julius looked forward, away from him.
"Don't get me wrong. I don't intend to die. I have a plan…"
"If it's just me, and there's only one Norrak…" he smiled weakly.
"…I have a pretty good chance of surviving…"
"And while I hold off Norrak…"
"…I want you to—"
***
Julius explained his whole plan to Paul, and Paul's eyes widened. Paul gritted his teeth.
Paul looked at Julius' face. Even though he was explaining his whole plan, Paul wasn't a fool; he could see the doubt on Julius's face. He was scared.
'You're a liar... you're not even sure when you say that, damn it…'
Cold sweat trickled from his temples down to his chin. Paul gripped his sword tightly, then gritted his teeth.
'Damn… even though he says it like that…'
"Why is he being so kind to me?"
"Why the hell would he go this far—rushing out here just to save me…?"
"And now he's saying he'll hold off that giant ape monster on his own… just so I can escape?"
"Don't screw with me…"
"I know you're lying about being able to hold it off by yourself."
His grip tightened. No more trembling. But doubt still lingered in his eyes. He was afraid. But there was no way in hell he could leave Julius behind to fight that thing alone.
His pride refused it.
Paul gritted his teeth.
But even if he stayed, he'd only be a burden to Julius
His thoughts were in chaos.
Then—He took a deep breath. Closed his eyes. Tried to calm the storm within.
"PAUL! RUN!!"
Julius's voice shattered the silence.
Paul's eyes snapped open. No more hesitation. He had made up his mind.
He held his breath—then ran.
This time, he was certain. His legs moved. No time to look back. No space left for thinking. Just one goal.
Julius glanced his way. Then gave him a small smile.
Short. Subtle. Like saying, "Go."
Paul ran. His breath was heavy. His chest is tight. The world narrowed around him. The sound of the blizzard faded. Only the sound of his own footsteps and the slicing wind remained.
His grip stayed firm on the sword.
He kept running. Leaving Julius behind. Disappearing into the mist. And slowly… his silhouette faded away.
Norrak watched him go. The creature didn't move—just stared at the place where Paul vanished into the fog. Expressionless.
As if none of it mattered.
***
Then, after a few seconds, Norrak's gaze shifted—Slowly—Back to Julius.
And it smiled. A slow, deep smile.
Like it was savoring the fear written on Julius's face.
Julius trembled. Eyes wide. His breath caught in his throat. But he shut his eyes, forcing his panic down.
He took a long breath… steadying himself.
When he opened his eyes again—The fear was still there. But the doubt was gone. Only resolve remained. Cold sweat still dripped down the side of his face.
Norrak kept staring. Then, it took one step backward. The smile never left its face.
Then, that massive body began to vanish—Fading into the white. Consumed by the snowstorm.
Disappearing from Julius's sight…Like a beast getting ready to pounce.
Julius didn't move. Didn't breathe.
He knew. It wouldn't attack right away. It was toying with him. Testing him.
And deep inside… Julius knew something else: If Norrak really wanted him dead—It would've already happened. Quick. Brutal. Without warning.
But that hesitation—That arrogance—Was his chance.
Norrak wasn't taking him seriously. An insult? Maybe.
But Julius didn't care.
He wasn't here to win.
He just wanted to live.
And in that sliver of disregard—He found a chance.
Quickly, Julius reached into his coat pocket. Pulled out the same spell pouch from earlier. Then drew a worn, aged book—his grimoire. His fingers trembled slightly as he undid the clasp.
"It's been a long time since I used this…"
"…but desperate times call for desperate measures."
He swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and then opened it. A thick book, bound in dark leather. He tossed it into the air.
The grimoire spun slowly above Julius's head, then opened by itself. Its pages rustled quickly, as if searching for the right one. A faint light shimmered through the cracks of its pages.
"I still can't control it perfectly. And the risk of failure is high… But right now, I have no other choice."
Julius tightened his grip, then stared ahead.
"If I fail, I'll die. But if this works…"
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"…it'll give me a huge advantage in the future."
"That is… if I can survive long enough to make it out of here."
"Frussssh!"
The book's pages spread wide open. The light grew brighter. Magic energy swirled around Julius's body, and a gentle wind formed a vortex.
Silence. Only the wind could be heard. The snow mist thickened.
"Come on... whenever you're ready, Norrak."
His eyes were no longer filled with doubt—just complete confidence in himself.
"Whooshhh!"
A large shadow streaked past Julius, fast.
"Whooshhh!"
Now from behind. Faster. Closer. Julius spun around instinctively, his eyes scanning both sides, on full alert.
"Whooshhh!" "Whooshhh!" "Whooshhh!"
The shadows appeared from all directions. Its speed was insane. Only the cold wind remained after each pass, whipping Julius's skin like blades of ice.
Julius started to lose focus. Norrak seemed to be everywhere—impossible to predict.
The wind around Julius began to blow harder. Sharper. It was as if something was about to strike.
"GYAAAAHHH!!!"
A wild scream shattered the mist. Norrak—leapt from the right side, mouth wide open, ready to devour Julius alive.
But Julius's eyes caught him.
The corners of his eyes trembled, almost igniting with focus. It was as if... this was the moment he'd been waiting for.
[Venti Aeternum]
In an instant, an invisible vortex of wind enveloped Julius's body. His heart thudded loudly, veins seeming to tear apart as his eyes reddened, groaning in pain.
"Ah... damn, this hurts…" he muttered. "…but luckily, I made it."
Norrak closed in, but his body was halted. The air around Julius spun violently, pushing back against the predator's bite.
Norrak's leap was interrupted mid-motion, his jaws slowing—his movements not only hindered, but wounded.
The rough skin of the monster began to peel away slowly.
Norrak roared in frustration, pushing harder. But the harder he pushed, the more violently the wind pressed against him.
Julius smiled. His foot stepped forward.
Norrak was forced to retreat. His body resisted, but his instincts were screaming. Julius's stance was steady.
His gaze was cold. Without fear.
Norrak realized—his attacks were useless. But he didn't give up.
He tried to force his bite stronger, trying to bring his mouth closer to Julius. But the harder he tried, the greater the wounds around his jaw became. His movements were slowing. His muscles were bound by the invisible wind.
With an angry snort, Norrak swung his long arm, attempting to strike Julius from the side. But that too was futile. The blow slowed, as if suspended in the air. It couldn't break through the wind shield. Every attempt only left new scars on the creature's skin.
Julius didn't retreat. He stood his ground, his eyes sharp, his breath rapid.
Seeing his efforts wasted, Norrak finally opened his jaws. He released his bite—into the empty air—and then leaped backward, retreating with incredible speed before Julius could take another step forward.
'Tch… damn, failed, Julius thought, narrowing his eyes.
Norrak's smile had vanished. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, the result of his reckless attempt to break through Julius's defensive magic. His gaze now burned with hatred.
He glared at Julius from afar… then vanished into the mist.
Julius straightened his body slowly, still scanning his surroundings, on high alert. But his heart began to slow down its frantic pace.
Damn… if only Norrak hadn't backed off... if I had taken two or three more steps toward him... I definitely could have—
"Ohok—"
Julius spat blood.
'Damn... if this continues...'
His legs started to weaken. His breath became ragged. The mist around him thickened, pressing down on him as if it were an additional weight.
'...If this turns into a battle of endurance... I'll be the one losing.
The magic Julius had used came from the grimoire—a tome of ancient magic containing high-level spells. But its usage was extremely risky. The grimoire didn't rely on regular spells; it drew directly from the soul essence, pulling immense amounts at once from the essence core within a person.
And that was dangerous.
Very dangerous.
When the soul essence runs out, the user's body becomes completely paralyzed for an unpredictable period. In that state, they cannot move, speak—nor even breathe steadily.
And if the spell used exceeds the capacity of the user's essence core... the resulting damage can be permanent.
The essence core could tear or even shatter. And if that happens, there's only one end: death.
That's why using magic from the grimoire was considered a high-stakes gamble. Nearly no one dared use it unless they were fully prepared spiritually and physically. And even then... those who did often didn't come back whole.
However, Julius was different.
He knew all the risks—and he still went through with it.
Not because he was confident.
Not because he wanted to die.
But because he had no other choice.
'If I manage to survive... my core will grow, even exponentially. But if I make one wrong move... if my essence runs out in the middle of the spell...
Julius gave a faint smile.
'...I'll just be a corpse beneath this snow.
So, he gambled.
"Ohok... ohok—"
Julius bent over, coughing heavily. When he raised his hand, blood was visible on his palm. Blood dripped from his lips, trailing down his chin.
Damn... I don't have much time.
"Whosshhhh!"
His gaze lifted. His breath came in short gasps. His eyes were heavy, his eyelids pale. The world around him began to blur.
"Not now... don't fall now...
"Whosshhhh!"
A large shadow circled him. Fast. Too fast.
Norrak appeared—and disappeared again. Just a flash. Only the cold wind brushed against his skin.
Julius forced his gaze to the right. To the left.
"Whosshhhh!"
Faster. Wilder.
'I... can't keep up with him anymore...
"SKRRRCHH!"
Norrak's sharp claws scraped against the protective magic. Sparks of energy flew. And just as quickly—he vanished once more into the mist.
Julius stood frozen. His heart pounded. His breath came in ragged gasps.
He's doing it...
He's starting to get serious.
Though his body was weakening, Julius gave a faint smile. Not because he was happy.
But because Norrak... finally saw him as an equal opponent.
However, that also meant—things were about to get worse.
"SKRRRCHH!"
Then, with terrifying speed, Norrak surged out of the mist again and clawed at the magical shield Julius had created. Though it didn't strike directly, the force was enough to shake his defense.
Even though the attack hadn't pierced the shield yet, the impact began to take its toll. Each time the shield shuddered, Julius's magic was worn down bit by bit.
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before everything collapsed.
"WHOSSHH!!"—"SKRRRCHH!!"
"WHOSSHH!!"—"SKRRRCHH!!"
"WHOSSHH!!"—"SKRRRCHH!!"
"WHOSSHH!!"—"SKRRRCHH!!"
Attack after attack pummeled Julius's magical shield, like a storm that wouldn't let up. There was no pause. No mercy. Norrak was relentless, hammering the shield from every direction—fast, brutal, without pattern.
Then, suddenly, the creature vanished back into the fog.
Julius stood in the center of his magical circle, his body trembling. His breath was heavy, labored, and erratic.
"Damn... if this keeps up...
"WHOSSHH!!"
The sound of the wind splitting the air was heard again. Julius's pale eyes caught a faint silhouette in the mist. His breath now formed small puffs of fog in the cold air—fast and irregular. He could barely stand upright.
His body swayed.
"WHOSSHH!!"
His steps wavered.
His feet dragged through the snow as he struggled to hold his position. Cold sweat trickled down his temples, slowly running down his cheeks and melting the snow.
And just when Julius was about to step forward...
"Ohokkk—"
His body swayed. He bent over and then coughed violently—blood sprayed from his mouth, staining his trembling palm.
His eyes widened. His vision blurred. His protective magic... vanished.
The last crack in his defense finally shattered.
His breath came in ragged gasps, his chest rising and falling as if it would explode.
Seems like... this is where I draw the line.
"WHOSSHHH!"—"GRAHHHHHH!!"
The figure broke through the fog—a dark shadow that looked like a nightmare. Its mouth gaped wide, rotten and filled with crooked fangs. Death's breath billowed from its throat, ready to devour Julius alive.
Julius could only stand frozen. Resigned.
But then, his eyes suddenly widened—not from fear of the creature—but because of someone who had appeared from the mist.
"Ah... damn. Why..."