Do-Yoon opened his eyes slowly.
For a few seconds, he did not move.
The first thing he felt was the cold.
It was not the ordinary cold he felt in his bedroom. This cold was sharper. It moved through the air and touched his skin like thin needles. The atmosphere around him was completely different from the real world.
He already knew where he was.
The strange world.
The world he had once believed was nothing more than a dream.
Do-Yoon slowly sat up and looked around.
The snowy land stretched far into the distance. White snow covered the ground, while enormous trees stood around the area. Their branches were covered with ice, and the faint light coming from the sky reflected across the frozen surfaces.
A short distance away, Min-Jae was also waking up.
He slowly opened his eyes and sat up.
Their eyes met.
Neither of them spoke.
They did not need to.
Both of them already understood what had happened.
They were back.
The dream world was real.
Min-Jae looked around carefully.
Do-Yoon remained silent.
There was no excitement in his expression.
There was no confusion either.
Only concentration.
The previous time they had entered this world, they had been completely unprepared. They had walked around without knowing anything. They had trusted strangers, accepted quests, entered dangerous places, and nearly lost their lives.
This time was different.
They knew that the world was real.
They knew that their abilities were real.
They knew that death inside this world could have consequences.
Neither of them wanted to repeat their previous mistakes.
Min-Jae looked toward Do-Yoon.
"Do-Yoon."
Do-Yoon looked back.
"Yeah?"
"We should check everything first."
Do-Yoon nodded.
Neither of them wasted another second.
They opened their systems.
A familiar transparent screen appeared in front of Do-Yoon.
The strange interface floated silently in the air.
His eyes moved across it.
He did not spend much time checking every section.
He already knew what he wanted.
He entered the system shop.
There were countless items available.
Weapons.
Armor.
Skill stones.
Magical objects.
Potions.
Accessories.
Clothing.
Various items whose names Do-Yoon had never heard before.
He ignored almost everything.
His attention stopped on one item.
A glove.
It looked simple.
It was a single black glove that covered one hand completely. There was nothing especially impressive about its appearance.
But its description caught Do-Yoon's attention.
The glove provided resistance against poison.
It increased energy.
It also increased the user's ability-related statistics.
Do-Yoon stared at the description for a moment.
He had learned enough about this world to understand that even something that looked simple could become extremely useful.
Without saying anything, he purchased it.
The glove appeared in his inventory.
He immediately equipped it.
A faint sensation passed through his hand.
He looked at the glove.
Nothing dramatic happened.
There was no light.
No strange transformation.
But he could feel something had changed.
His body felt slightly lighter.
His energy felt more stable.
Do-Yoon closed the system.
At almost the same time, Min-Jae finished purchasing the same glove.
He equipped it without saying anything.
The two of them looked at each other again.
Neither asked why the other had bought the same thing.
They had reached the same conclusion independently.
They needed every advantage they could get.
A little distance away, Sofia was still asleep.
She had not noticed that they had awakened.
Do-Yoon looked toward her for a moment.
Then he looked at Min-Jae.
Min-Jae understood.
They were not going to stay together.
They needed to explore.
They needed to become stronger.
They needed to understand their own abilities.
Min-Jae walked toward the sea.
Do-Yoon walked toward the snowy jungle.
Neither said goodbye.
They simply went in different directions.
The distance between them slowly increased.
Do-Yoon entered the forest.
The moment he stepped beneath the enormous trees, the atmosphere changed.
The wind became quieter.
The trees blocked most of the light.
Snow covered almost everything.
There were footprints everywhere.
Some were small.
Some were enormous.
Others did not look like footprints made by anything human or animal.
Do-Yoon continued walking.
His eyes moved from one side to another.
He was searching for monsters.
It did not take long.
Something moved between the trees.
Do-Yoon stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
A creature stepped into view.
Its body was covered with thick white fur.
Its arms were longer than a human's.
Its teeth were sharp.
Its eyes were fixed on Do-Yoon.
Do-Yoon did not hesitate.
He moved forward.
His movements were much faster than before.
The creature attempted to attack him.
Do-Yoon avoided it and struck back.
The monster fell.
Do-Yoon continued.
Another monster appeared.
Then another.
Then several more.
The snowy forest slowly became filled with signs of his passage.
Do-Yoon did not fight recklessly.
He had learned from his previous battles.
Every movement mattered.
Every mistake could cost him his life.
He used his strength carefully.
He used his skills only when necessary.
He continued moving deeper into the forest.
One monster after another fell before him.
He did not stop after five.
He did not stop after ten.
He continued until he had defeated more than fifty monsters.
Eventually, Do-Yoon stood in the middle of a wide snowy area.
His breathing was slightly heavier.
His clothes were covered with traces of snow.
He looked around.
There were monsters hiding among the trees.
They had watched him.
They had seen what happened.
They were afraid.
Do-Yoon looked toward one of the defeated creatures.
He grabbed its head and lifted it.
The surrounding monsters became completely still.
Do-Yoon looked at them.
He did not shout.
He did not need to.
He threw the head toward the group.
The monsters immediately reacted.
Their bodies trembled.
Some stepped backward.
Others lowered themselves toward the ground.
Do-Yoon stared at them.
Then something strange happened.
He spoke.
The language was not Korean.
It was not English.
It was not any language he had ever consciously learned.
The words came naturally..
Yet the monsters understood him.
Their expressions changed.
Do-Yoon's eyes began to glow faintly.
He could feel something inside himself.
It was not simply strength.
It was authority.
The monsters slowly lowered their heads.
One by one, they bowed before him.
Do-Yoon looked at them in silence.
They were accepting him.
As their leader.
Almost as a king.
Do-Yoon spoke again.
This time, his command was simple.
"Follow me."
The monsters obeyed.
They began moving behind him.
Do-Yoon continued walking through the forest.
A large group of monsters followed him through the snow.
Whenever one of them refused to obey, Do-Yoon turned toward it.
His eyes became cold.
The creature would realize its mistake.
Do-Yoon would deal with the rebellion immediately.
The others watched.
Fear spread among them.
Soon, none of them dared to disobey.
Do-Yoon continued forward.
He had not planned to create an army.
He had not entered the forest expecting to become the leader of monsters.
It had simply happened..
Eventually, he decided to return to the place where he had left Min-Jae and Sofia.
He turned around.
The monsters followed.
The journey back was faster than expected.
Do-Yoon recognized several areas they had passed earlier.
He continued until the snowy forest began opening.
Then he stopped.
Something was wrong.
The place where Sofia had been sleeping was no longer peaceful.
There were people everywhere.
Do-Yoon's eyes narrowed.
An enormous group had surrounded the area.
They were not monsters.
They were humans.
Or at least they looked human.
They wore different kinds of armor and carried weapons.
Some held swords.
Others carried bows.
Several were wearing robes.
There were dozens of them.
Perhaps even more.
Do-Yoon remained hidden between the trees.
His eyes moved through the crowd.
Then he saw Sofia.
She had been captured.
Her hands were restrained.
Several people were standing around her.
Do-Yoon's expression became colder.
Then he saw someone else.
Min-Jae.
He was lying on the ground.
He appeared unconscious.
Do-Yoon's hand slowly tightened.
For the first time since returning to this world, his calm expression changed.
His eyes became sharp.
The monsters behind him noticed the change.
They stopped moving.
The entire group became silent.
Do-Yoon looked at Min-Jae.
Then at Sofia.
Then at the people surrounding them.
He did not understand who these people were.
He did not know why they had captured Sofia.
He did not know what had happened to Min-Jae.
But he knew one thing.
He could not simply walk away.
One of the humans noticed movement between the trees.
He turned.
His eyes met Do-Yoon's.
The man stared at him.
Then his expression changed.
He stepped forward.
Several others immediately noticed him.
Weapons were raised.
Do-Yoon remained where he was.
He did not attack.
He simply watched.
The man walked closer.
There was something unusual about him.
He did not look surprised.
Instead, he looked as if he had been waiting.
When he was close enough, he stopped.
He studied Do-Yoon from head to toe.
Then he asked,
"Are you Do-Yoon?"
Do-Yoon's eyes narrowed.
He had never seen this man before.
Yet the stranger knew his name.
That alone was enough to make Do-Yoon cautious.
The surrounding people remained ready.
Sofia looked toward him.
Her expression changed when she realized who had arrived.
"Do-Yoon..."
Her voice was quiet.
Do-Yoon heard her.
His eyes moved toward her.
Then he looked at Min-Jae again.
He could not tell whether Min-Jae was injured or simply unconscious.
The stranger waited for Do-Yoon's answer.
Do-Yoon finally spoke.
"Yes."
The man's expression became unreadable.
For a few seconds, neither side moved.
Behind Do-Yoon stood an entire group of monsters.
Behind the stranger stood an entire army of people.
The snowy forest had become completely silent.
Do-Yoon stared directly at the man.
The stranger stared back.
Neither of them knew what the other was capable of.
But one thing was certain.
The moment Do-Yoon had returned to this place, something had already changed.
And now he was standing directly in front of the people who had captured his friends.