Nathan stepped back quickly, his axe spinning to parry a small Slime that nearly slammed into his knee. He steadied his breathing, resisting the urge to slaughter them all at once.
[Skill: Predator’s Insight (Lv.1)] activated.
His gaze locked onto a single medium-sized Slime among the swarm surrounding him. Every dodge was calculated—sidestepping, leaping onto an ice block, twisting midair—but his eyes never left that one target.
"If I figure out your weakness..." he thought, batting aside another Slime with the axe’s handle, "...I’ll know theirs too."
By the third second—he noticed the mass of its body quivering unevenly.
By the fifth—there was a tiny delay every time it bounced, the lower right side always lagging by a split second.
By the eighth—a faint, crack-like shadow appeared inside its body, right next to its core.
By the tenth—that line glimmered faintly, like a frozen fiber just waiting to be shattered.
Nathan’s lips curved into a thin smile. "Got you."
Two Slimes lunged at him simultaneously—he ducked under the first, twisting his body so his axe cut across the second’s path. The moment his feet hit the ice again, he had already closed the distance to his chosen prey.
"Now... you’ll be the example."
Nathan planted his feet on the ice, both hands gripping his twin axes tight. He drew in one last breath—then burst forward.
His boots slammed twice, scattering shards of ice with each step.
The targeted Slime quivered in panic, trying to retreat, but Nathan was already crouching low, swinging his right-hand axe upward from below. The blade tore through the blue mucus, striking the faint glimmer only he could see.
Light exploded from within the Slime, followed by a sound like shattering glass. The gelatinous mass jerked wildly before collapsing into a shapeless heap—dead before it could even try to reform.
Nathan inhaled sharply, his eyes sweeping over the remaining Slimes that still encircled him. His gaze was razor-sharp.
"Good... if the weak point’s there, you all share the same pattern."
Without wasting another second, he moved again. His eyes needed only a single heartbeat to lock onto the same spot on the next Slime—just beside its core, on the lower right.
The axe in his left hand spun, smashing directly into the point. The second Slime collapsed instantly, its liquid freezing on the floor like a shattered ice sculpture.
Nathan’s movements grew faster. Dodge, strike, pierce—every attack landing on the exact same spot.
Third, fourth, fifth Slime... all fell in the same way.
In under a minute, the room that had been filled with the slick shhhk of Slimes moving was now silent, holding only the scent of shattered ice and frozen slime slowly evaporating.
Nathan exhaled, spinning his axes once. "Hah... done."
From atop an ice block, Livia looked down at him with a half-bored expression. "Hm. Turns out you can actually fight when you bother to use your brain."
Nathan shot her a glance, half-tempted to retort, but too tired to argue. "Whatever..."
Nathan had just wiped the frozen slime off his axe blade when Livia’s voice broke the silence.
"Come on, let’s keep moving."
He looked up, one brow raised. "Seriously? Right after that?"
Livia hopped down from the ice block with ease, her steps steady as she walked past the frozen remains of the Slimes. "Yes. We’ve only got two days. Don’t waste time." Her tone was flat, but her eyes held a sharp seriousness.
Nathan let out a long sigh before following behind her. Their footsteps echoed through the next tunnel, the air still biting cold.
But inside his head, his thoughts refused to settle.
This... isn’t enough.
His gaze flicked to his axe blade, then to the system status window floating in the corner of his vision.
Why haven’t I leveled up yet?
What was my last level again?
A faint crease formed between his brows. For some reason, the memory was hazy—like there was a blank space in his mind where the answer should’ve been.
They emerged into a natural ice field—wide and slick, its surface smooth as a mirror, reflecting the crystal light from the ceiling of the cavern. At the far end of the field, a massive shadow moved.
A wolf-like monster stepped out from behind a mound of shattered ice. Its fur was a pale white, but the tips shimmered faint blue, as if dusted with frost. Each breath came out as a thick plume of mist, and its eyes gleamed with a sharp, icy light, like shards of frozen glass.
Its fangs were long, claws carving deep grooves into the ice beneath its feet. Its body lowered, muscles taut—ready to pounce at any moment.
Livia halted, her shoulder angling slightly. "Frostfang Wolf," she said flatly. "Hurry... let’s finish this. Time’s still ticking."
Nathan swallowed, his fingers tightening around his axes.
Inside, a thin smile tugged at his lips.
Maybe... taking this thing down will finally level me up.
Nathan shifted his stance slightly, and instantly—
[Target Identified: Frostfang Wolf]
[Type: Beast – Elite]
[Special Abilities: Frost Breath, Ice Claw, Cold Endurance]
[Note: This prey is known to hunt in packs. If you see one, others are likely lurking nearby.]
Nathan glanced at the system panel, one brow arching. "Level seventy... seriously?" he muttered under his breath.
Livia was already stepping forward, her shoulders tilting in readiness. "Save the commentary. If you don’t want to end up as dinner, focus."
The Frostfang Wolf lunged. The ice beneath its paws cracked and splintered as its massive body shot forward, jaws wide, fangs glinting under a thin coat of frost.
Nathan twisted to the left, narrowly dodging the first strike. His breath caught as a rush of icy air grazed his cheek.
He countered with a sharp swing of his axe, but the wolf leapt back with ease, claws raking the ice and sending shards flying.
Without pause, the Frostfang Wolf drew in a deep breath—
[Skill Detected: Frost Breath]
Nathan sprang sideways just as a torrent of freezing mist blasted across the ground, coating the spot where he’d been standing in a slick layer of ice.
"This... is gonna be fun," he said, lowering his stance, ready to strike back.
Nathan shook his head, glancing briefly at Livia who stood not far behind him.
"So... are you helping this time, or am I just your entertainment again?"
Livia narrowed her eyes, her shoulders lifting in a casual shrug. "A little."
"A little?" Nathan echoed, half in protest.
"Enough to make sure you don’t die," she replied flatly, the corner of her lips curling into a faint smirk. "The rest... is your problem."
Nathan snorted, spinning the axe in his grip. "Fine. Don’t regret it if I finish faster than you expect."
The Frostfang Wolf lunged again—and this time, Nathan was ready—
The Frostfang Wolf shot forward like a streak of white lightning across the ice. Nathan lowered his stance, eyes locked on every twitch of muscle in its forelegs. When the distance closed to just a few meters, he shifted a step to the right, letting the beast’s charge graze past his shoulder.
Its massive claws slashed through the air, carving long grooves into the ice. Nathan spun, swinging his right axe, but the Frostfang Wolf sidestepped with surprising agility for its size.
Nathan felt every second stretch, each heartbeat pounding in his ears like a war drum. His breath came in clouds, the sharp scent of ice filling his lungs. He knew—one wrong step, and his head would become a Frostfang trophy.
But beneath the fear... there was a small ember burning, one that made him smile.
Nathan backed up two steps, keeping distance. His mind immediately went to the same approach he’d used against the Slimes. If I can find its weak point... every Frostfang will have the same spot.
[Skill: Predator’s Insight (Lv.1)]
His gaze locked in. Every flick of its tail, every shifting step, every breath—it all fed into his focus. At the same time, he kept moving, dodging left or right each time the wolf’s claws swiped or its jaws snapped for him.
By the fifth second—he noticed the right hind leg was slightly stiff whenever it landed.
By the eighth—there was a small gap in the muscle along its flank, right above that leg, reflecting a faint shimmer.
By the tenth—that shimmer was clear, a target begging to be struck.
Nathan’s jaw tightened. Got you.
The Frostfang Wolf leapt again, claws raised high. Nathan dove beneath its body, twisting his left axe upward to strike dead-on at that glowing point.
The beast let out a harsh growl, its body jolting as it lost balance, crashing onto its side against the ice.
"Nice hit," Livia remarked casually from behind—without even lifting her hands.
Nathan rose to his feet, axes ready again. "Don’t just stand there. Weren’t you gonna help ’a little’?"
Livia’s lips curved faintly, she channeling energy into her hands. "Alright... a little."