"What is this...?" It was definitely an explosion. I looked back in confusion.
The end of the passage, part of the exit we had just come from, had collapsed and blocked the way. Except for James, who had hurried out after us, everyone seemed to be trapped inside. But there was no time to go back. The blue light that had been aimed at Kyle's neck had flown back toward us. Even this time, there were several.
Kyle fixed his sword with incredible speed and deflected them. A loud, shrill sound echoed, as if to prove the enormous force that had been blown away.
"It's a dagger. Used with magic. James!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" James stepped up and protected me with the shield he was carrying on his back. Fortunately, most of the offense was aimed at Kyle, so James didn't have much to do. At most, there were only four or five blades shining blue, but even after they bounced off several times, they flew again without stopping.
An eerily sharp blade slashed through Kyle's cloak and fur. It was a smooth movement, as if cutting melted butter. Sometimes they would hit Kyle's armor. I shouted, watching him spin furiously in place.
"Where!"
As I stepped forward, James reflexively tried to pull me back. But at the same time, Kyle's whole body glowed with a thin, blue aura, and James shut his mouth when he saw four daggers bounce off at the same time.
[Current Holdings | ♣ ×3]
The problem was that I had almost used up my luck with the defense. I asked James to help the other knights who were trapped in the passage. Kyle nodded and came closer to me.
As soon as James stepped back, I shouted into the air, "Don't hide cowardly and show off your talents, come out!"
My loud voice echoed back. Then, a faint laugh interjected in between.
"I've never hidden." My and Kyle's heads flashed upwards.
The voice was heard above and behind us. A person was casually sitting on a rough block of ice above the collapsed and blocked exit of the cave. The man opened his mouth and said, "Hello."
He was a person who resembled pure white eyes. His gaze was white and ominous, as if it were made from the unmelted ice of the north. As if he were the very cold that made this land barren. A straight, long, gray-haired man was looking down at me. His bright blue eyes seemed to be looking through my insides, and my stomach rumbled with a strange apprehension.
"It's you. The one who opened the gap in the world."
"I don't know what you're talking about," I retorted fiercely, and Kyle pointed the tip of his sword at the man.
"Who are you?"
"As you expected..." The man's thin lips drew a smooth curve. "He is the one who left a small gift in the cave. What do you think, Your Highness? Do you like this gift?"
"Gift..." Kyle's jaw tightened. That word was truly a sour attitude.
The man said with his arms outstretched, as if he had decided to kill himself at all. "By the way, I didn't expect that famous Grand Duke to move directly. Surprise. All of Meinhardt's great princes are hot-tempered."
The white-haired man was sitting on an icy rock, tiptoeing, and his appearance even looked arrogant at first glance. "I'm lucky. Oh, is it bad luck for you? I hope you die here without bothering me."
As soon as he finished speaking, the spears that had hidden their whereabouts flew in again. I jumped onto a large rock to relieve Kyle's burden, leaned closer, and kept a watchful eye on him. As expected, the man's attack was focused on Kyle. It was a fierce and relentless momentum, as if he was determined that it would be beneficial to stop killing him.
Of course, Kyle also quickly swung his sword and defended, but it was never easy to deal with four or five blades flying from all directions.
'I can't go on like this!'
Dangerous. The moment he misses even one attack, that pointed tip will slam into Kyle's vital point. His armor had already begun to show dents. I became impatient and began to prod the system.
'Hey, give me something!'
Not items. You have to eat that! It's much better to stand here and assist Kyle than to rush in halfway with an item and confuse him. When I shot my bow, I didn't have the confidence to hit things that were moving so violently.
'Lucky shame!'
With the remaining numbers, it is difficult to block even a single attack. The lower the number, the thinner and weaker the shield. You can't venture against that dagger, so it's better to fill it up...
'There are no demons around. How do you rake in your luck? Is there any other way?'
If I could make up for my luck by cutting the miracle number, I was willing to compromise this time. Kyle is so important to me, and things are changing urgently. However, the answer of the system was unexpected.
[Do you want to force your luck to charge?]
I asked in a panic. I couldn't help but think about it in my heart. "What? Is that possible? Tell me soon."
The white-haired man asked, sensing that I was not feeling unusual. "What is that little guy so... doing?"
However, at that moment, Kyle leaped out of place and swung his sword, so the man hurriedly fled the spot.
"Oh no."
"Don't worry about that." Kyle lunged at him, his red eyes shining. "Your opponent is me." He quickly seized the initiative and began to push the man.
I looked anxiously at the two of them as they scrambled over the rocks, then quickly whispered to the system again. 'Forced charging. Okay, let's do that. How do you do it?'
I remembered the usual playfulness, and the blue system window came to mind.
[Your new life here is made up of many pieces of luck, that is, luck is the power that sustains life, so the necessary luck can be replaced by your life force.]
A few lines of sentences gave me chills. You know... If you use your life, you can charge your 'luck'.
[Choose carefully.]
[Drawing up life force can have side effects.]
While I hesitated for a moment, the man pulled out five more spears and began to push Kyle. Kyle hesitated and took a few steps back as he had to deal with the rainbow-colored daggers flying from all directions and the rapier that had been carved blue with magic.
The man rushed towards Kyle, rolling his eyes slightly and looking at me. The corners of his mouth, which rose like a painting, created a strange impression.
"It's a very interesting power."
"..."
"I'd like to take it and split that little body in half to check it out."
What is the split? I trembled all over my body and whispered quickly, 'Now is not the time to worry about side effects. That's a complete madman!'
I closed my eyes and exclaimed, 'Let's charge only a hundred. Hurry up!'
[Current Holdings | ♣ ×103]
And at that moment, the man turned towards me as if he had changed his mind. Kyle also sensed the crisis and approached me at full speed, holding his sword with both hands and blocking my way.
Boom!
I pulled all the luck I had, and blocked Kyle's way. A blue color similar to a dagger, but thicker and clearer, draped itself like a barrier, blocking all attacks. To be precise, it was more like holding the dagger tightly so that it couldn't get stuck.
'Done!'
But I was afraid to be relieved, and a hot heat soared inside me.
"...Whoops."
"Shu!"
Side effect. My eyes felt dizzy, and I spit out blood that had risen to my throat. It felt hot and unpleasant, as if I had swallowed a fireball. I felt incomprehensible pain and dizziness, and my body slumped forward. Kyle was very embarrassed and pulled me around my waist.
"What is this...?"
"I couldn't help it. You can't die quietly." I coughed a few times and spit out the blood that had pooled in my mouth, and I scowled at the man who landed in front of us.
"I know who you are."
His blue eyes curved. "You know me? Kid. It's a strange thing. Now, tell me, who am I?"
What about the kid? He is twenty-seven years old, a little less than 180 centimeters tall, and is a strong adult male. I recited the words the system told me.
"Master of the lawless zone."
"..."
"Conqueror of the Frost Tower. Those born at the end of the world. Those who break the rules. Seeing that he was joking about the gift and said something he didn't even say back, he must be a member of the Wizards."
"..."
I wiped the blood with the back of my hand and said as if to argue with him, "White wraith."
"Hmm..." The man strode over. Kyle held his sword close to me, threatening to stab him if he took even one step closer. The man shook his head as if he didn't even want to be tickled by such threats.
"It's better to be careful with the last word. All those who casually uttered that title were not alive." It was as if he was talking about what he wanted to eat for dinner, but every word was sharply forged, making it more threatening than any threat.
"But, it's definitely amazing. I didn't expect you to use a word that only lawless bastards know. The stupid Meinhardts have no way of knowing the situation in the North. How did they find out?" He lifted his feet off the ground lightly, and the ice slumped. "Knowing the unwritten title, using similar power without magic, and spilling blood in return. Did you look into the air and mumble to yourself... Foresight?"
"..."
He is as fast as a ghost. If I answered incorrectly, it would only give him a clue, so I chose to remain silent. A bright smile hung over the man's beautiful face.
"I don't care. The most exciting thing is when you find the answer yourself. So, kid. Even if you want to answer, you'd better not do it. It's not a good choice to get in the way of my enjoyment."
I didn't want to answer. I caught my breath and soothed my throbbing stomach. But in the end, a single complaint came out.
"You're a crazy guy..." It was my one-line appreciation of him.