And they vanished unto the dark.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Sixxy kept running, her massive body cutting through the snow as Si Hon clung on, Hana hugging him tightly from behind.
Si Hon listened.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"…Why does it feel like someone's running behind us?" he asked, breath tight as he glanced over his shoulder.
Sixxy barked sharply.
"Dad," Hana said, her arms tightening around him. "Sixxy says the MUNCHES have night vision too."
"Ah— agh!!!! Fuck!" Si Hon shouted. "Figures… that's why they don't use any light."
The sound grew louder.
Sixxy barked again.
"D-dad— they're close! Sixxy says they're really close!"
"Huh?!"
Then—
SLICE!
The world brightened in an instant, and Si Hon stiffened in shock. It wasn't dawn— the night was still there. His breath hitched as he looked up, eyes wide. The clouds above had been split clean apart, like something had sliced straight through the sky itself, leaving the moon exposed and staring down at him.
"Huh?!" He stared. "What the hell…?"
He looked back just in time to see three MUNCHES leap forward.
Two were covered in burn scars, their faces twisted and grotesque. The third looked untouched— furious.
They raised their arms—
Snip.
The sound was light. It was too light.
Not the heavy impact Si Hon expected from something powerful. No roar, no explosion, no shockwave. Just a short, clean noise, like paper being cut.
Before his brain could process it, the pressure behind them vanished.
The three MUNCHES were already HEADLESS midair.
Their momentum carried their bodies forward for a brief moment— arms still raised, muscles still tensed— before gravity finally claimed them. They collapsed into the snow one after another, heavy thuds echoing through the forest.
Blood steamed faintly where it touched the cold ground.
Si Hon felt his breath catch.
That wasn't brute force and it wasn't luck.
That was someone who knew exactly how much strength was needed— and no more.
A familiar figure stepped forward from the darkness.
A woman with long, flowing dark hair. Her body was lined with scars, her presence sharp enough to cut the air itself.
She spoke loudly, her voice cold and clear.
"I found you, thief."
At that moment—
The katana in Si Hon's hand throbbed.
Sixxy came to an abrupt halt, her massive body tensing as she stared at the woman ahead.
At the same time, a familiar notification burst into existence.
「Wohoo~ Si Hon, I was getting bored. And wow… didn't expect you to kill two MUNCHES in just three days.」
Another window popped up beside it.
「1200 EXP Acquired」
Lv 1 → 2 = 100 (Remaining: 1100)
Lv 2 → 3 = 150 (Remaining: 950)
Lv 3 → 4 = 200 (Remaining: 750)
Lv 4 → 5 = 250 (Remaining: 500)
Lv 5 → 6 = 300 (Remaining: 200)
Lv 6 → 7 = 350 (Not enough)
Level: 6 — 200 / 300
「Earned: 25 Free Stat Points」
"…That's a lot of notifications," Si Hon muttered.
He looked at her again.
The woman didn't moved.
She stood there silently, long dark hair swaying faintly as the moonlight washed over her figure. The pale glow revealed her scar-covered yet beautiful face, her eyes glaring straight at him as she slowly bit down on her lip. The look was sharp, cold, like a blade pressed against his throat.
Then the remaining MUNCHES emerged from the darkness and stopped.
One of them stepped closer to her.
She raised her hand.
The MUNCHES head slid cleanly off its shoulders.
It collapsed into the snow without a sound.
She hadn't even looked back.
Her eyes never left Si Hon.
Her lips moved slowly, deliberately.
"T… H… I… E… F."
A chill crawled down Si Hon's spine.
Goosebumps spread across his arms as he reached out, gently patting Sixxy's head.
"…Run," he whispered. "Sixxy, run,,,,,,,!"
Sixxy barked once and turned, bursting into a full sprint, as they fled, Si Hon glanced back for a split second.
The remaining MUNCHES lunged toward her, but they never reached her— midair, their bodies were torn apart, heads dropping, limbs severed, torsos split cleanly in half, all of it happening so fast there was no struggle, no resistance, only the sound of heavy bodies hitting the snow.
Si Hon turned forward again.
And didn't look back.
As they ran, the clouds above closed in, swallowing the Moon lights, and the world darkened once more.
Hana spoke while clinging tightly to Si Hon's back. "Wasn't she the one at the peak of the mountain? The… drunken woman?"
"Yeah," Si Hon replied, sweat dripping from his forehead despite the cold. He tightened his grip on the katana. "And this sword is hers. Sooo… ahaha… she might want it back. But if I return it, I won't have any weapon left."
Sixxy barked loudly.
"Oh— Dad," Hana said quickly, listening. "Sixxy says we're almost there."
"Great," Si Hon muttered. "Not like I can tell. I can't see anything."
Then, the familiar blue transparent window appeared once again.
「Hey… (╯︵╰,) didn't you see the notification earlier?」
Even in the darkness, the window glowed faintly, bright enough to be seen, but not enough to light the surroundings.
"Oh. Right," Si Hon said. "Can you open my status?"
The window flickered, then shifted.
Short Summary of Your STATUS
────────────────────────
Tendency: Careful Strategist
Job: Unemployed
Title: Thief (New) — tap for more…
"W-what?" Si Hon muttered. "Thief?"
「A famous samurai labeled you a thief,」 the system replied. 「And she's very well-known. Also… the grudge she formed was MASSIVE. I couldn't just ignore it.」
Si Hon went silent.
"…You're kidding me."
Below the window, another line of text appeared.
「Free Stat Points: 25
Strength: 10 +
Agility: 11 +
Stamina: 11 +
Endurance: 12 +
Luck: 21
Intelligence: 19
Mana: 0 +」
"I see…" Si Hon murmured. "I can't increase Luck or Intelligence… but Wohoo, I can increase Mana."
「That's because Luck is earned, either through stat stealing or special rewards or when you were born,」 the system explained. 「As for Intelligence, you'll be able to increase it once you possess Mana.」
"Oh. Alright."
Si Hon paused for a moment. Then, his finger moved.
「Free Stat Points: 3
Strength: 15 +
Agility: 15 +
Stamina: 15 +
Endurance: 15 +
Luck: 21
Intelligence: 19 +
Mana: 6 +」
After that, the window popped up one last time.
「Oh— well, good luck, Si Hon. (◍•ᴗ•◍) Earlier, I thought you were the one who killed the MUNCHES… but it turns out you only assisted by throwing the torch.」
The window vanished.
Si Hon let out a slow breath.
Tendency… Careful Strategist, he thought. Why do I even have that? I'm not careful at all…
He sighed.
Then, far ahead, something began to glow.
As Sixxy ran forward, the light grew larger— brighter. The massive dog barked loudly.
"Dad," Hana said, listening closely. "Sixxy says… we're here."
The light led them straight to a massive cave entrance carved into the mountain itself. Its mouth was wide and dark, large enough to swallow the trees around it. Sixxy slowed, then stopped right in front of it.
Si Hon slid down from her back and gently left Hana sitting there, holding onto Sixxy's fur. "Stay here," he said quietly.
He stepped forward and looked inside.
Near the corner of the cave stood a large tent— half collapsed, its fabric torn and hanging loose, the poles bent and broken as if something had crashed into it. The air inside was cold and heavy.
Then he saw her.
A woman was leaning against the rock wall deeper inside the cave. Her body was slumped, her head tilted slightly to the side. Blood stained her clothes and trailed down onto the stone beneath her. Her chest rose and fell faintly, barely.
She was still alive.
Sixxy let out a soft bark and hurried toward the woman. She pressed her head against her and licked her cheek again and again.
The woman chuckled weakly. "Haha… Sixxy." She lifted a trembling hand and gently caressed Sixxy's head.
Si Hon glanced around, finally noticing the others.
Near the broken tent lay two dogs. One was massive, easily twice the size of a bear, its body bare of fur, muscles exposed beneath tough skin. A few meters away, slumped against the cave wall, was another dog with white fur dotted in black polka spots.
Sixxy whimpered.
She slowly walked toward them, Hana still clinging to her back, and licked each of them in turn, her tail lowering as she did.
The woman spoke again, her voice faint but clear. "Are you the one Sixxy chose to help us?" She gave a tired smile. "Haha… please help us."
Her gaze shifted toward the ruined tent.
Then back to him.
"Please… carry me there."
Si Hon nodded.
He leaned down carefully and lifted her— one arm supporting her legs, the other bracing her back. She was light. Too light, maybe due to his new stats or because she's petite. Her breathing brushed faintly against his chest as he carried her toward the ruined tent.
When they reached it, she spoke weakly, "Set me down… and please, rummage through it. You'll find a red bottle."
"Okay," Si Hon replied.
He lowered her onto the cold cave floor, making sure her back rested safely against the rock. Then he grabbed the torn edge of the tent, pulled it open, and leaned inside, searching through the scattered belongings for what she asked for.
As he rummaged through the tent, Si Hon found a small photograph tucked between torn cloth and supplies— a tiny polka-dotted puppy curled inside a basket. He smiled faintly and set it aside outside the tent.
Then his hand brushed against a wooden box.
He opened it.
Inside were nine red bottles. Two were shattered, their contents long soaked into the fabric below. The remaining ones were intact. He grabbed the box and stepped back outside.
The woman chuckled weakly. "Haha… thank you. Hand me one, please."
"Okay," Si Hon said, taking a bottle and offering it to her.
She tried to open it— but her fingers trembled, strength failing her. The cap wouldn't budge.
Si Hon sighs, then knelt down. Smiling softly, he held her hand steady and twisted the bottle open for her.
She smiled back and drank.
Half of it went down her throat. The rest she poured directly onto her stomach.
The wound began to regenerate slowly— but the moment the liquid touched her exposed flesh.
"AGHHHH!!!"
She screamed, her body jerking as she clutched Si Hon's hand tightly. The potion burned like alcohol poured into an open wound, sending sharp pain through her nerves.
After a long moment, her grip loosened.
Her breathing steadied.
The scream faded into silence.
She let out a soft laugh.
"Hehe…" She sighed, exhausted. "I should've focused on finishing this potion first… before going on an adventure."