“Outpost leader?” 

Iron smiled when he saw how dumbfounded Charles was.

“Corporal Charles, stay here and wait for the arrival of the vice outpost leader. And when the company commander comes, make sure to report the things that I have said earlier.” 

“Where will you be going, outpost leader?” 

Iron nodded subtly at Charles’ question.

“I have to do another mission.” 

“Are you saying that you will be doing it alone?” 

“That’s right.” 

Iron did not mind Charles’ incredulous look as he started packing immediately.

“Give the troops a break and don’t move from here. Got it?” 

“Outpost leader! Please take some corporals with you!” 

“They will only get in my way. Besides, you need all of the corporals with you to manage and help the injured.” 

Iron glanced at the injured soldiers while he continued to pack. They had suffered tremendously as they followed him. He dared not bring them along especially when he knew how dangerous the areas that lay ahead were.

Charles also looked at the soldiers. He could see that all of them suffered from exhaustion and injuries from the battles that they continuously fought. Their situation was so dangerous that they would not be able to prepare for an emergency if just one corporal went out of commission. Charles also couldn’t refute Iron’s words. After witnessing his strength, he was fully aware that all of them would truly just get in his way.

‘The 4th Stage…’ 

Iron’s mana sword might look weak on the outside but it was a sword that could easily cut through a goblin’s ice sword and a giant white bear’s thick skin in just one strike.

At first they strongly insisted that he was still at the 3rd Stage but when he saw him slicing through the ice troll’s thick neck, they were forced to admit that his power was already beyond that level His proficiency in handling mana was also leagues beyond theirs. Even if he wanted to insist that he brought someone with him, he was forced to admit that he and the rest of the corporals were just a thorn in his way. How could they help if they weren’t anywhere near his level? This was also the reason why the knights and the rangers preferred to move by themselves.

“Hoo… I understand. Please take care of yourself.” 

“Alright. Our mission is now over so don’t be reckless and make sure to wait here. Do you understand?” 

“ Yes, sir!” 

Iron nodded his head when he saw Charles giving him an answer straight away. He also gave him additional orders like an overly worried mother hen.

“Good. Keep the monster corpses contaminated by the dimensional crack safe and make it your top priority. Remember that this is the most important thing in our current mission.” 

“I will always keep it in mind!” 

“Good. I will trust you, Corporal Charles.” 

Iron immediately left after he entrusted the security of the corpses of the goblins and the corpse of the giant white bear to Corporal Charles.

He ventured deeper into the dangerous areas after leaving the injured soldiers behind. However, Iron couldn’t help but frown when he saw that the translucent bird was still urging him to move forward despite him already going beyond the silver wolves’ territory. He was fully aware that he couldn’t move forward with just his skills alone.

The territory in front of him was home to the white wyverns, one of the most dangerous monsters in the entire Winter Mountains. This was something that was already beyond his level. Even the territory next to it was even more troublesome. It was the territory of the cold wings, a monster that was impossible to hunt even if one was at the 6th Stage.

“…Should I call for them?” 

Iron contemplated for a while before firing a blue flare to the sky. It seemed like there was nothing else he could do but call for support. 

And just like that, a color opposite to the red flare earlier soared in the sky.

Iron turned to look at the blurry figure of the bird that stared at him from afar after shooting the blue flare in the sky. The closer he approached the area, the clearer the image of the bird that was looking at him from the sky. 

“You’re saying that you’re beyond this point, right?” 

The translucent bird nodded its head. It seemed like it had heard Iron’s mumbles. All Iron could do was sigh when he saw the bird agreeing to him. 

His intuition was telling him that whatever was happening was definitely related to the missing phoenix. The problem was that his intuition was also telling him that he should never go beyond this point. In the end, all Iron could do was sigh as he set up a tent and waited for support to come. 

However, Iron felt a suspicious energy charging towards him from afar. He instinctively stopped his movements and pulled out his sword to defend. 

Baaaang!

His sword blocked the attack but he was easily pushed back. It was just a single hit but it had already sent him flying and spitting out blood.

When he stood up, he saw a being covered in a black robe and holding a huge scythe.

Iron frowned when he saw the state of his sword. It was a sword that contained mythril but there were already cracks after receiving a single blow from his opponent. Even his firm and compressed mana sword was dispersed in that one hit. This meant only one thing… The opponent in front of him was not someone that he could fight on his own.

His expression distorted as he stared at the black robed being. He could sense a strange energy coming off of the being. It was something that he had not felt when he was fighting against the monsters before. He felt a bad feeling from this energy. It was different from the energy the mysterious bird was emitting but it was also an energy that he had felt in his previous life.

“The energy from a dimensional crack?” 

The moment he realized that the energy that he was feeling was from contaminated mana, notifications began to ring in Iron’s ears.

― For the first time, a user has faced a creature from the void. You will receive special rewards as a privilege for being the first to discover such an entity.

― The rewards will be withheld. You will only receive the rewards once you cleared the Winter Mountains Quest.

[ Identify the unknown danger lurking in the Winter Mountains and solve it. ]

Iron frowned and lifted his sword as the notifications rang one after another in his ears. 

Bang!

Like the reaper of death, the black robed being appeared right in front of him while swinging the scythe in its arms.

Iron was able to successfully block the attack but the power difference was so big that he was thrown back from the impact of the collision. The force was so strong that he ended up being stuck on one of the trees.

“Cough! Cough!”

Iron threw away his half-broken sword while coughing up blood.

He quickly rolled around and evaded the huge scythe that flew towards him.

Slash!

Iron’s eyes widened when he saw the scythe cutting down the gigantic rock covered with ice in a single strike.

“Where did such a monster…”

Iron’s expression was distorted even further. He realized that the being in front of him was not a monster. However, he was sure that he had not seen this being in his previous life.

He quickly pulled out his Ghost-only sword as he hurriedly rolled around and dodged the scythe that was in close pursuit.

“Of all things…”

Iron gritted his teeth as he glared at the scythe-wielding black robed being. He felt so mad and frustrated at the thought of gambling with his own life on the line once again. He was already sick of it after experiencing it countless times in his previous life. 

He knew that even if the Ghosts moved fast, it would still take them at least 10 minutes to get here. However, he had already gauged his chances. With the huge difference in skills, it was extremely difficult for him to hold out even for just a few minutes.

Thwack!

“Keuk!”

Iron immediately slapped a mana stone on his chest. This method should only be used in emergencies and Iron deemed this situation to be that dire. Cold energy flared up as soon as the mana stone was slapped on his chest. The energy floated and covered his entire body as it agitated and made his mana boil. The mana stones that he used to dope himself up was the purified mana stone that he got from hunting the goblins and the giant white bears.

He quickly infused and compressed the mana that boiled over in his sword.

“Hoo…”

Cold wind began to blow around him as cold breath left his mouth. 

The huge scythe spun and flew straight towards Iron’s neck.

Iron quickly swung his compressed mana sword and redirected the scythe’s orbit. However, his move was something that would not work on his opponent. After all, his opponent had a much higher level than himself. Although the scythe’s orbit was momentarily redirected, it still spun and turned around again. However, instead of aiming for Iron’s neck, it was now aiming to cut him into two.

Bang!

“Ughh…”

Iron clenched his teeth. He successfully blocked the attack while barely managing to hold his position. He quickly took a step back and escaped from the orbit of the scythe.

Crack…

Iron dumped all of his overflowing mana into his compressed sword. There was an overabundance of mana that the sword hovered while frost covered its surface.

However, no matter how much mana he had now, he would still hit a limit. The opponent he was facing off against was a being that was several levels above him. In the end, Iron reached his limits. His body staggered and swayed after he barely evaded the scythe’s attack. He eventually fell down in front of the black robed being as he faltered in his steps.

The black robed being slowly raised the scythe to finish him off.

Baang!

Iron raised his mana sword as he received the scythe directly. Fortunately, a miracle had happened. He was able to avoid a death crisis thanks to all of his overflowing mana being pushed into his sword.

The cold attributed mana that filled his sword to the brim held out strongly just like the strong steel that he had envisioned from the very beginning. It even encroached upon the scythe that slammed straight onto his sword. His mana sword expressed the hardness and the coldness of a thousand year cold iron, something that could only be seen in modern martial arts texts, and finally deflected the scythe. 

However, miracles would only happen once. 

The scythe immediately flew back towards Iron.

But since he had already blocked the scythe once using all of his strength, there was no way that Iron could stop the scythe’s attack anymore. Despair filled him as he watched the scythe coming straight towards him.

At that moment, space suddenly distorted and cracked in front of Iron. Then, two beams of light flew towards the black robed being.

Shiiiiiiing!

Perhaps it was because the black robed being was caught off guard that it flew back after receiving those two beams of light that suddenly attacked him.

―Tweet!

Tiny Baepsae flew and perched on top of the bloody Iron’s head as it quickly pecked his head with its small beak to begin the healing and recovery of his battered body. 

Owl also flew right next to him and looked at him as if he was pathetic.

―Hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot!

Owl started scolding Iron. Owl hooted loudly as it asked him if he neglected his training since he was too weak. It scolded him saying that he was too weak that it couldn’t stop just one being and even forced them to come out when its own body was still not yet fully recovered.

Baepsae even joined in and scolded him for not taking care of his body properly and rolling around recklessly.

―Tweet!

―Hoot!

All Iron could do was smile bitterly as he accepted the angry scolding of his two divine beasts. Thanks to them, he was able to stand on his own two feet again albeit with the support of his sword.

Owl was speaking with a relaxed tone but it had told him that their odds of winning were still low. It knew full well that they couldn’t win against that being since it had come out with its strength not yet fully recovered.

However, the three of them knew that they needed to fight. So they fought. Anyway, Iron could still support Owl with his divine power since they had already signed a contract. However, even if Iron supplied Owl with his divine power, it was still not enough. Even if Owl had rested for months, there would still be some restrictions and limitations on its body since it was still not yet fully recovered.

Because of this, Owl was not able to exert its full power as they fought against the black robed being.

―Hoot!

When Iron saw that Owl received an injury, he immediately tried to move his mana to help. But before he could start, Baepsae smacked him on the head and blocked him from doing anything.

―Tweet!

“But Owl…” 

―Tweet, tweet!

Iron quickly broadened his senses and increased the range of his detection after hearing Baepsae’s words.

Then, someone flew past Iron and attacked the black robed being. A huge shockwave erupted from the collision. But just as the shockwave was about to hit Iron, a familiar figure appeared and cut it off with his sword.

“Good job.” 

“Ah…” 

Lintel Verner, the person who brought him here, smiled as he stood in front of Iron. 

“He’ll probably have a hard time dealing with it alone.” 

“It’s fine. Even if he looks like that, he’s still 2nd among all of the Ghosts.” 

Lintel smiled and told Iron to not worry about it. 

“You don’t have to look around like that. If something shows up, I’ll deal with it. Drink this and focus on your recovery.” 

Lintel handed a potion to Iron as he looked around sharply.

“That guy… You must catch him.”

“I know. I can tell that he’s suspicious so we can’t let him escape.”

Lintel grinned as he answered Iron. 

“That bastard is not going to survive.”

Shadows of figures began to appear one by one as soon as those words left Lintel’s mouth. When all of them appeared, Iron saw the figure of a familiar man smoking a cigarette standing in the center of the group.

“Good job.”

The person who appeared and said the same thing as Lintel said earlier, was the special search unit commander, Carl Gustav. 

“You’ve discovered a big shot.”

“That guy told me.”

Carl frowned.

Iron was looking at the figure of the bird that was still staring at him from afar. However, the figure was completely invisible in Carl’s eyes.

“Is it over there?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That means we have to drill through that place.”

Iron nodded solemnly when he heard Carl Gustav’s words.

Carl smiled as he looked at the other Ghosts. There were five Ghosts, including Lintel, and they were all staring at Iron. 

“Did you hear that? It seems like we need to break through that place?”

The Ghosts smiled upon hearing Carl’s words. All of them looked relaxed.

No matter how strong they were at the 5th Stage, those were still places where the white wyverns and the cold wings stayed at. It was still an area where they could possibly face annihilation with just this small number of people. 

“There’s no need for us to kill the monsters?”

Iron nodded at one of the Ghosts' question. 

“All we have to do is pass through. But…”

“There’s a high probability that more of those guys would be there, right?”

Iron nodded heavily at Carl Gustav’s words.

There was a high probability that someone who was at a level where the 2nd in the Ghosts couldn’t handle would appear. 

“I think we should fire up a green flare.”

Carl stared at the Ghosts as he said those words. 

“Do you agree to fire up the green flare?”

“I agree.”

“I agree.”

“I agree.”

“I agree.”

“I agree.”

However, Iron, who did not know what they were talking about, just watched the situation unfold while staring at them blankly. 

Then, all of the Ghosts turned to look at Iron. 

“You didn’t explain to him what the green flare meant?”

Carl glared at Lintel but Lintel just asked back. Both of them thought that the situation was absurd. 

“But I thought that the captain would explain it?”

“Tch!”

After Carl criticized Lintel for not explaining things while they were on their way here before, he turned to Iron and explained. 

“It is the Ghost's authority that we can use whenever there’s something that we can’t solve with our own strength and power.” 

“What’s… that?” 

“It’s the authority that is only given to us. It is used when there is a need for a power that can sweep the entire area. I don’t know about the others but maybe there’s also a similar authority in other regions with secret forces like us.” 

“Is it… like a bomb?” 

Carl Gustav shook his head when Iron spoke about something that was familiar to him.

 “It varies from region to region. From what I heard, the West has dozens of large ships, the East has an area that was filled with bombs and the South could call for great wizards that can use large-scale magic.” 

“The Center…” 

“I don’t know. It’s a place with a lot of secrets…” 

Iron nodded heavily. He firmly agreed with Carl Gustav’s words about the Center. This was a bone-deep fact that he had felt in his previous life. The Center, where the Imperial Palace was located, was a place that had plenty of secrets hidden behind the dark. 

Then, Iron gulped as he asked…

“What about… the Northeast?” 

“Calling a master.” 

“Yes?”

“Simply put, it’s like a 1-day license for the Northern Commander.” 

“Not the Northeastern Commander… but the Northern Commander?” 

Carl Gustav nodded. 

“The Northeastern Commander is busy so we need to call the leisurely Northern Commander.”

The power to wipe out an area. Although they were called with a simple title like Master, this feat was possible with their strength. Carl smiled when he saw Iron’s blank stare.

“So… Do you agree?”

Iron nodded blankly when he heard Carl’s question. 

After seeing him nod, Carl took out a magic tool from the belt on his waist and fired up a green flare.

***

Notes

[overly worried mother hen] – The exact term was 노파심. It means excessive solicitude. A state where they would feel overly worried and anxious about other’s business. It seemed like they use it as an idiom for deeply worried.