Survival 25

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Uncle remembers the events of that day in the snowy fields.

Back then, the name “North” had not yet been firmly established.

It was a wild era where demons, monsters, and humans were chaotically intermixed, killing each other.

He himself was adapting well within that chaotic scene.

Fur and fat perfectly adapted to the cold climate.

A physique and strength with no natural predators.

It was the same for demons and humans.

They were slightly bothersome with their tools, sharp and sturdy swords, and strange magic, but still weaklings in his eyes.

One day, while faithfully following his instincts and continuing his hunting activities within his territory, an anomaly occurred.

“Quite strong, indeed.”

“Well, still no match for us.”

For the first time, he lost.

And to the humans, whom he had thought weak, – a sharp pain.

His empty left arm.

What lay tattered and rolling on the ground was a product of these humans.

While a warrior with a great sword blocked his fist with just the blade, a thief’s sharp dagger finally severed it.

“There will certainly be damage to the people of this territory.”

“Oh my. Shall we kill them?”

“That’s why I teamed up with you, isn’t it?”

The great sword, which had blocked his fist several times and still remained intact, was now draped over his fallen neck.

-…

At the moment his life hung in the balance, the giant felt a more intense desire to live than ever before.

“Look at this, a monster prostrating itself? That’s a first.”

His urge to live was so strong that he replicated the behavior of the humans and demons who had invaded his territory.

A desire that surpassed instinct.

“Hey, can’t I take him with me?”

“Moon Crow… be reasonable. It’s impossible to tame a monster from the North. We need to kill it now.”

Despite the black-haired male’s objection, fortunately, the silver-haired female was more persistent.

“Speda is always so fussy. So what if it’s a monster? If it’s mimicking human behavior to survive, doesn’t that indicate a high level of intelligence?”

The jet-black dagger pressed down on the great sword.

Under that pressure, the warrior named Speda reluctantly lowered the sword he had aimed at the Yeti’s neck.

“It’s good timing, actually. I needed a guard for the relics I’ve stolen.”

Thus, the wild Yeti became a creature raised by the Speda couple, and named ‘Uncle.’

After that, Uncle’s life changed 180 degrees.

“Come on, Uncle! Let’s go!”

“Weren’t you only going to use me to guard the relics? Always so headstrong…”

Their achievements were dazzling and spectacular.

Unlike his former self, who only engaged in instinctive hunting and territorial disputes, they eventually drove out all other races and built a castle.

Duke Speda, who subdued external enemies with a single sword, and Moon Crow, who kept corrupt nobles in check.

And in his own way, he too had a share in these achievements.

“Ugh, you’re hurt again, come here. I’ll treat you.”

“Don’t get too attached to the monster.”

“That goes for you too! Seriously, don’t make me worry.”

Family affection.

Spending a long time with them, Uncle, a monster, had come to realize something he had never known before.

It was perhaps inevitable that he came to regard them as his parents.

-Grrr…

“Don’t cry. It’s time for me to go.”

But even heroes like them could not defy the passage of time.

Human lifespans were tragically short.

The mother, who had saved his life and given him a name, had passed away long ago.

The father, with his striking black hair, was also preparing to leave his side.

“Uncle.. remember this. Someday, one of our descendants will pull out my sword.”

In the deepest part of the underground vault.

Father had placed his great sword there.

“But until then, there will be numerous threats, including tomb raiders like jackals. I hope you’ll protect it well after I’m gone…”

Thus, Uncle became the guardian spirit of the Speda ducal family.

And now, hundreds of years later, a descendant has finally appeared, just as the father had said, who could pull out the sword.

-Swish.

The girl with silver hair, resembling Mother, easily pulled out the sword that even the current head of the family, reputed to be of exceptional talent, couldn’t.

The long wait had not been in vain.

However, separate from that, a vast emptiness gnawed at Uncle’s heart.

“I had hoped that no one like you would ever appear.”

After losing his parents, all that was left for him were the relics they had left behind.

If you take it, what am I to remember and live by? Surely, Father would have wanted to bless the descendant who drew the sword.

But despite realizing it himself, he was engulfed by uncontrollable, clingy emotions.

He knew it was a dreadful selfishness that should not be harbored.

“Prove it….”

Uncle spoke in a clumsy manner, the best a monster’s vocal organs could manage.

No.

In fact, he had been preparing for a long time.

The one sentence he had practiced all his life to say to the one who would draw the sword.

“Prove it! Prove it! Prove it!”

There was only one thing they needed to show him.

Could this novice truly replicate the spirit that Father possessed?

Remembering the first day he met his parents, the monster extended his one remaining arm.

***

-Clang!

The sound of the monster’s fist colliding with the great sword echoed in the vault.

I immediately broke my concealment and sprang forward.

“What are you thinking, attacking a member of the Speda family, you guardian spirit?! Hey, the thief you want is right here!”

But it seemed like the monster didn’t see me at all.

He passed by me, the one blocking his path, and continued to pressure Luciana with his only arm.

“Prove it!”

What exactly does he want her to prove?

Continuously repeating those words, he lunged at Luciana.

-Thud! Thud!

“Ugh! What kind of air pressure is this!”

Not just the wind.

My body swayed helplessly from the shockwaves produced as the sword and fist collided.

Despite my attempts to intercept, the monster, ignoring my several efforts, simply passed by me.

That’s it.

I gritted my teeth and stepped back.

A party member who can’t even attract aggro is just a hindrance; it’s wiser to step back and look for a strategy.

Surprisingly, Luciana was holding her own in front of the monster.

Her exceptional swordsmanship played a part, but it was largely thanks to that MacGuffin weapon absorbing the shock.

“…Ugh.”

Was it the difference in size?

A strained groan escaped from her lips, showing the struggle against the force.

‘If it continues like this…’

“Damn, I need to find some way to help.”

The opponent is not a human relying on armor but a monster armed with thick fat and tough fur.

Normal attacks are useless.

Magic or daggers are no different.

There’s a lack of absolute firepower. Not even a scratch could be made.

In this situation, there was only one option available to me.

“…Oh well, I guess the Duke will have to deal with the aftermath.”

I grabbed the golden rods on display and applied them indiscriminately.

-Click.

The glass display cases armed with security magic, the opaque frozen boxes, and the lids tightly sealed with precious locks all cracked open.

“I have a rough idea of the artifacts here, so I’ll have to use whatever I can get my hands on.”

One lesson learned from countless games: against brute strength, an even more overwhelming power is needed; there’s almost nothing impossible with the right gear.

And this place held some of the world’s most valuable relics.

“I’ll take this, and this could be useful too.”

[Yeti Power Gauntlet]

[Glory’s Crown]

[Frost Herb]

Chosen artifacts came into my hands one after the other.

I’m saving their daughter’s life here; surely they won’t blame me for breaking all the vault’s security spells?

Still, it wasn’t enough.

What I needed now was destructive power enough to take down that Yeti in one blow.

But with my meager strength, any artifact I used was more or less the same.

“What should I do…”

My anxiety grew by the minute.

Even spending time pondering like this felt wasteful.

-Zzzeng!

Beyond the thunderous noise.

Luciana was struggling to block the Yeti’s attacks.

‘If only I had used my evasion to tie up the Yeti, letting Luciana focus on attacking…’

The situation was clear.

Aggro, or tanking. The only way I, useless as a dealer, could have helped Luciana up till now.

But the fact that the Yeti was solely targeting Luciana made this strategy pointless, a thought that kept circling in my mind.

Then, suddenly, a particular relic caught my eye.

“…Worthless dagger.”

Among the relics on the third floor, it was notoriously difficult to steal without encountering the guardian spirit, and it boasted performance worse than junk.

But why?

It felt as if the dagger was calling out to me.

Everything around me blurred, my attention wholly focused on the useless dagger.

‘Was this how Luciana felt when she pulled the sword from the stone?’

As if entranced, I reached out and grabbed the rust-covered handle of the dagger.

At that moment.

[Eligibility requirements met.]

[New functionalities of the artifact are being unlocked.]

The dagger, which had looked worn and old, revealed its deep, ink-like sheen.

***

-Koong, Bang!

How many times had it been?

Luciana deflected the impossibly heavy blows, gasping for breath. She might have been knocked out long ago if she hadn’t surrendered to the intangible energy guiding her movements.

“Prove it…!”

Luciana faintly realized why the guardian spirit, otherwise so gentle to the members of the Speda family, was relentlessly hostile towards her, accompanied by desperate howls. It was all because of this great sword.

And she understood that the proof he demanded was nothing more than a child’s tantrum.

What filled the guardian’s bloodshot eyes was not anger, but sorrow.

‘Pitiful creature.’

Undoubtedly, Uncle was a spirit who had shared in the Speda family’s founder’s exploits. It wasn’t unreasonable for him to cling to these relics.

However, Luciana wasn’t obliged to concern herself with his situation.

Now, driven by instinct to draw the sword, she was acutely aware of why her hand on the hilt trembled slightly.

Elation.

The fact that the legendary sword of the Speda family’s founder was now hers was a great honor and joy for Luciana.

Luciana, gathering her breath and determination, rebuked the foolish guardian spirit.

“However, that’s your affair. Don’t think I’ll release the sword just out of sympathy.”

It might be an atrocity to the guardian spirit to take away his most precious relic, but letting a powerful weapon that could bring peace and safety to the North go to waste would also be a disservice.

“I shall gladly prove it to you.”

What exactly he wanted her to prove, she didn’t know. But she was certain of one thing.

In the North, the only way to assert one’s will was through strength.

So, there was only one thing for her to prove.

To subdue the Yeti by force. And to claim this sword as her own.

“Come forth!”

-Kraaah!

In that moment.

Luciana, faced with the magnificent roar, suddenly recalled a thought.

Thinking about it, Luciana had faced quite a few defeats recently.

Once to the demon, and twice to Hans.

But those defeats had become fertilizer for her growth.

‘Just defending against his attacks won’t help me avoid defeat.’

Luciana’s eyes sparkled blue.

She needed to create a variable.

Just like her servant had done with all sorts of bizarre methods.

-Kruk?

She had thrown her reliable great sword to the ground, which had been protecting her from the Yeti’s relentless punches, for this very reason.

The guardian spirit, distracted by the coveted relic, reached out to grab the great sword.

-Kraaak! Grrr…

“You shouldn’t covet a noble’s belongings.”

The rapier, driven into his shoulder, pierced through the Yeti’s fur and flesh.

Soon, Uncle’s white fur was stained red.

What he overlooked was that Luciana’s weaponry wasn’t limited to just that.

Firstly.

It was encouraging that she had managed to wound such a formidable opponent. However, Luciana’s brow furrowed.

‘It was too shallow.’

The rapier, undoubtedly quick and requiring less preparation, lacked the power of a great sword.

It was too weak to cut through all the muscles of the monster.

“Prove it!!!”

The gap was too narrow to evade effectively.

The ancestral great sword, once used to block the punches of the blood-roused guardian spirit, was now gone.

“Damn.”

‘Even with this rapier, I probably won’t be able to deflect properly.’ 

Yet, Luciana smiled.

She had seen her reliable servant, adept in his unique stealthy movements, sneak up behind the Yeti.

‘Utterly disorderly. Has he completely abandoned any sense of dignity?’

Hans’s appearance was that of a true jester.

On his head was the mysterious purple crown that his father had received from the Emperor himself.

In his hand, the Yeti Power Glove that she had recommended.

Chewed in his mouth seemed to be a Frost Herb leaf, known for temporarily amplifying certain abilities.

And, adorned haphazardly all over his body were relics, making him look like a newly rich merchant from the Central regions. Yet, Luciana somehow felt reassured.

The jet-black dagger in Hans’s right hand, emitting an ominous aura, seemed more threatening than any of the artifacts he was armed with, but his most powerful weapons were his tireless determination and unpredictable ideas.

A bold servant daring to rob the ducal family’s vault right in front of the lady.

“It’s about time you retired as a guardian spirit!”

As Luciana distracted the Yeti from the front, Hans’s jet-black dagger struck precisely on the opposite side of the previous wound.

The unexpected blow from behind sliced through skin and fat, and even cleaved through the iron-like bones.

-Thud.

This was the result.

The giant forearm fell to the floor, landing next to the great sword that Luciana had dropped moments before.

The one-armed Yeti now would never be able to pick up the great sword he so dearly longed for.

“Prove… it….”

-Thud.

Uncle’s knees buckled.

In front of the fallen guardian, who collapsed with a heavy sound, stood Luciana, close enough for her breath to almost touch his skin.

A careful smile formed on her lips, previously frozen stiff.

His figure, lying defeated, told her and her servant that they had won.

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