Yoo Baekjun accepted the Snow Tiger's offer.
The Snow Tiger focused her mind. Then, a pure white pill-like essence emerged
from her corpse.
The pill floated in front of Yoo Baekjun.
– Accept it.
The pill entered Yoo Baekjun's body. He closed his eyes and felt the energy
flowing into him.
An immense mana surged inside him.
'And... it's cold.'
The mana was so cold it felt like his body would freeze over. But that only lasted
a moment.
His freezing body quickly adapted to the mana and began to change rapidly.
And when Yoo Baekjun opened his eyes,
"Hmm…"
Even Jin Seoyeon, who had been watching, was amazed at the powerful mana
radiating from him.
Yoo Baekjun exhaled a breath of pure white mist.
A message appeared before his eyes.
– You have absorbed the energy the Snow Tiger carried throughout her life. Your
mana has increased by one level.
– You have learned a new Trait and Skill.– Trait: Master of Extreme Cold (A)
– Skill: Cold Energy (A)
Yoo Baekjun checked the new abilities he gained.
[Master of Extreme Cold (A)]
– Freely controls extreme cold.
– Greatly increases the power of cold-related skills and reduces mana
consumption.
– Barely feels cold and physical abilities are enhanced the colder the
environment.
[Cold Energy (A)]
– Emits a powerful Cold Energy centered on the caster.
– Those who come into contact are slowed and have their physical abilities
weakened.
– Additional effects apply depending on the terrain.
He couldn't suppress a smile.
Both were good. One was a debuff skill, and the other enhanced himself.
Especially optimal for Seorak Mountain.
– This should be helpful.
"More than helpful. It's overflowing."
The Snow Tiger stared intently into Yoo Baekjun's eyes. It seemed she was
expecting him to say something.Yoo Baekjun spoke seriously.
"I'll find the ones who killed you and take care of them. I'll look after your child
until I die. I promise."
– Good. I feel a bit more at peace now.
The Snow Tiger nodded in satisfaction.
Ice spirits gathered around her, as if signaling that it was time to leave.
– For those like us who come and go from the spirit world, death is a trivial
matter.
The Snow Tiger looked back.
Toward the area blocked by the frozen wall, her eyes were filled with deep
lingering regret.
– Yet, I still can't get used to goodbyes.
"You said you're heading to the spirit world, right? Then I'll come visit you one
day with your child."
– You'll… come visit?
The Snow Tiger widened her eyes.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
– I'll be waiting.
Paaah! A brilliant light flared from around the Snow Tiger, and Yoo Baekjun
closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the Snow Tiger was gone.Only the ice spirits remained.
– Friend, are you really coming to the spirit world later?
– Humans can't come.
– Are you saying you'll come by dying?
They were always chatty. Yoo Baekjun waited for the ice spirits to finish talking.
– You were entrusted with a task, so you can't die.
– So instead, we'll give you a gift.
The ice spirits hovered around Yoo Baekjun. Soon, light flowed into him.
– 'Trait: Friend of the Ice Spirit (C)' has been changed to 'Trait: One Invited to the
Spirit World (C)'.
[One Invited to the Spirit World (C)]
– Granted the right to travel to the spirit world.
– As it is a rare qualification, it's easy to earn the affection and trust of spirit world
residents.
As expected, it wasn't a trait with a major effect.
But it would come in handy later. It served as a trigger for an event.
– Well then, byeeeee~
The ice spirits vanished into thin air, as if sucked into a vacuum.
Only Yoo Baekjun and Jin Seoyeon remained."I didn't know what was going on, so I just stood back… is everything resolved
now?"
"Yeah."
"What about my request?"
Yoo Baekjun silently pointed to the ground.
"Can't you feel it?"
"...…"
A massive amount of mana was flowing through the entire chamber. It was the
attribute mana infused with frost, left behind after the Snow Tiger's soul and body
vanished.
"…Yeah, I can feel it."
Jin Seoyeon sighed.
It was exactly the environment she wanted. Cold enough to make her skin
tremble, and filled with abundant attribute mana.
Perfect for absorbing elemental mana.
"I feel like I've been completely used."
"Think of it as mutual benefit."
"Mutual? Feels more like you took way more than I did."
"It's just your imagination."
Yoo Baekjun strode deeper inside. Jin Seoyeon followed with a conflicted
expression.They came upon a frozen wall. When he placed his hand on it, the ice melted as
if it had been waiting for his touch.
And inside—
"What is that…?"
There was a small cave.
And within it, carefully preserved, was a large chunk of ice.
Yoo Baekjun approached the ice block.
"...…"
Inside the ice was a small creature.
If one were to imagine a younger version of the Snow Tiger, this is exactly how it
would look.
'No doubt, that's his kid.'
The gender hadn't changed, so probably female.
Yoo Baekjun examined the inside of the ice. The young Snow Tiger was severely
wounded.
If left like this, she wouldn't survive for long.
'This was the trigger for the Snow Tiger going mad and heading to Seoul.'
She briefly regained his senses only to see her child dead, and that drove her
completely insane.
And then the great disaster occurred.
'Treasure Hunters.'They were treasure hunters in name, but in truth, they were grave robbers.
They scoured ruins and dungeons around the world, looting valuable treasures
and hunting mythical creatures.
They used all sorts of illegal means, disregarding the damage done to civilians.
'The problem is when they cause major incidents.'
They ended up waking a sealed monster deep underground.
That led to the first major event.
The funny thing was, it was better to let them mess up.
'If you try to stop them, things spiral into an even bigger mess.'
Yoo Baekjun sighed.
He had to prepare for his older brother Yoo Taerang's return, and also for the
major event.
There was no end to his responsibilities.
"What are you doing? Shouldn't you get her out?"
"Yeah, I should."
"Should I use fire magic or something?"
"Don't. You want to cook her alive?"
Yoo Baekjun waved his hand.
There was no need to melt the ice or anything like that. Just touching it was
enough.Ssssssss
It melted away.
After all, the Snow Tiger had frozen it. Now that Yoo Baekjun had her energy
inside him, he could melt it at will.
"Hm."
Yoo Baekjun carefully pulled the young Snow Tiger out of the ice. Her body was
skinny, her wounds ragged.
As soon as she was freed from the ice, blood began to seep out.
"She's cute."
That was the first thing Jin Seoyeon said upon seeing her.
Her hand moved toward the baby Snow Tiger, but Yoo Baekjun stopped her like
lightning.
"Hey! Can't I even touch her?"
"Why would you touch a hurt kid? She needs treatment first."
"Yeah, but she's just so cute…"
Jin Seoyeon's eyes sparkled.
Yoo Baekjun ignored her and checked the baby Snow Tiger's condition. She'd
die if left alone.
He had medicine prepared just for this.
"You made that too?""Yeah. I brought it just in case we got hurt, and now I'm using it. It's made with
expensive ingredients, so it should be effective."
"You're more talented than I thought. You really liked books when you were
young, too."
He placed a small pill in her mouth and wrapped her wounds with the bandages
he brought.
The bandages were coated with medicinal herbs. Once the effects kicked in, the
wounds would heal quickly.
–Kkiing, kkiiiing…
"She's whining. Is she a puppy?"
"If she looks like a puppy to you, something's wrong with your eyes."
"I don't really know animals. Then what is she?"
"She's a tiger… obviously the Snow Tiger's child. Didn't you hear earlier?"
"Really?"
Jin Seoyeon widened her eyes in surprise. Yoo Baekjun let out a small sigh.
Come to think of it, her character was said to be knowledgeable but a little
clueless.
This must be one of those clueless parts.
–Kyahoo, kyahoo…
"Isn't her breathing too rough?"
"We'll have to watch her for a while. I gave her something expensive, so she
won't die easily."Anyway, Jin Seoyeon would need to absorb mana here for a while.
While protecting her, Yoo Baekjun planned to stay up and care for the little one.
"Should I praise you for being responsible?"
"Don't bother."
That was her response when he told her his plan.
Yoo Baekjun carefully carried the young Snow Tiger out of the chamber.
Jin Seoyeon stood at the center.
"Well, fine. I was nervous about the monsters anyway, so it's good someone's
here to guard me."
"How long do you think it'll take?"
"About three days. Watch over me, okay?"
Yoo Baekjun nodded.
He owed her a favor, so this much was fine.
"...…"
Jin Seoyeon closed her eyes and focused her mind. Her body slowly floated into
the air.
Moments later, a round dome of mana enveloped her.
Woooong!
As the dome vibrated, the mana in the chamber began to resonate in harmony.Jin Seoyeon repeated her own unique pattern of inhaling and exhaling.
'Mana Breathing Technique.'
Instead of a cultivation method, most mages use mana breathing techniques to
accumulate mana.
What Jin Seoyeon was using was a mana breathing technique only passed down
to successors of the Magic Tower.
It was one of the most efficient, allowing one to absorb large amounts of mana
without any loss.
Ssssssss…
With every breath, an enormous amount of mana flowed into her body.
Yoo Baekjun clicked his tongue.
"Guess I'm stuck here for three days."
–Kyahoooo…
The young Snow Tiger trembled from the cold.
Yoo Baekjun embraced her with the Black Demon Coat, then absentmindedly
opened his status window.
[Yoo Baekjun]
Strength: B (42/100)
Agility: B (47/100)
Stamina: B (45/100)
Mana: B+ (12/100)
[Innate Ability: Martial God's Book (EX, 2★)][Traits: Heavenly Martial Physique (S), Energizer (C), One Invited to the Spirit
World (C), Master of Extreme Cold (A)]
[Skills: Oriental Medicine Formulation (B), Cold Energy (A, 1★), ... ]
His mana had increased by one grade.
Defeating a powerful monster like the Snow Tiger and receiving quest rewards
also boosted his other stats quite a bit.
'At this rate, I might reach A-rank in mana before Yoo Taerang shows up.'
He had to reach at least that level.
Otherwise, he wouldn't stand a chance against Yoo Taerang. His base stamina
was just too far behind.
And more importantly,
'Considering the upcoming main and major events, even A-rank won't be
enough.'
Heroes Road had severe power inflation—it ramped up to absurd levels.
From the mid-game onward, only monstrous enemies would appear. To face
them, he needed matching power.
"This little one will be helpful."
The Snow Tiger would be a great help for that. So a bit of wasted time was
acceptable.
"Huuuu…"
Yoo Baekjun let out a sigh.
Too much had happened in a single day. He couldn't help but feel exhausted.'I'll set a perimeter spell first.'
He tore a scroll with a warning spell that would sound an alert if monsters
approached.
After casting it near the entrance, Yoo Baekjun leaned against the wall with the
Snow Tiger in his arms.
"Let's rest for a bit…"
Yoo Baekjun closed his eyes.