TRC 03

TRC

Posted by James, Released on October 10, 2025

Chapter 03…

Growl―

The pack of gray wolves, led by Freki, let out a low growl, showing hostility toward the Blood Wolf.

“Judging by how things turned out… I guess my guess was right.”

The reason Freki had left the intact gate to come outside.
The reason the Blood Wolves suddenly appeared through a wave.

When it comes to reading the situation, I’m second to none.

I didn’t know what exactly had caused the situation to diverge from before my regression, but I had grasped the general flow.

‘The gray wolves had their gate stolen by the Blood Wolves.’

The sides were clearly divided now.

This time, there was no reason to hold back.

“Awooo―!”

[Freki’s “Wolf Pack (A)” buff increases all gray wolves’ stats by 10%.]

At that moment, Freki howled loudly, and thirty gray wolves charged at the Blood Wolf pack without hesitation.

I also pulled out the knife stuck in my belt and gripped it in a reverse hold.

Slash―!

“Gyaaang―!”

The short blade tore open a Blood Wolf’s belly in a long, clean cut.

Its hot entrails spilled out, steaming, and splattered across my clothes.

But there was no time to pause—I threw myself forward immediately.

Then I rolled across the ground, tangled with another Blood Wolf that was lunging for one of my allies’ throats.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of butchering meat echoed as fountains of blood sprayed into the air.

“Ugh…”

I barely pulled myself free from the corpse of the huge Blood Wolf and stood up, checking the state of my weapon.

The knife was already dull—nothing more than a useless hunk of metal now. Not that I’d expected much; it wasn’t a real item, just a mass-produced tool.

Well, if you don’t have teeth, you fight with your gums.

Without hesitation, I activated my first talent.

[Talent “Empathy (C)” used on Beast, Freki.]
[Partially unlocking Freki’s latent abilities.]

[Beast Information]
Name: Freki
Type: Gray Wolf (Special Entity)
Rank: E (Conditional Growth Type)
Level: 15
Loyalty: 100
Skills: Two as One (S―), Wolf Pack (B)
[Latent Abilities: Riding (D), ??? (B), ??? (?)]

‘Nice timing!’

The newly unlocked latent ability was Riding (D).
Not a high grade, but a very useful one.

“Freki!”

Hearing my call, Freki stopped biting into a Blood Wolf’s throat and raised his head.

Then, as if reading my intent, he sprinted straight toward me.

Whoosh―

I ran toward him as well, grabbed his mane, and vaulted onto his back.

Freki’s loyalty was at 100. Combined with my experience, we were practically one being.

I directed Freki toward a Blood Wolf grappling with three gray wolves.

Crash!

We charged, using momentum to slam into it. The surprised Blood Wolf lost its balance instantly.

The three gray wolves seized the opening, biting into its neck and legs in unison.

“Gyaang!”

Ignoring the scream, Freki pushed off the ground again.

The battlefield was vast, and there were many skirmishes where our help was needed.

“Freki, this way!”

Using his mane as a makeshift leash, I guided him to the next target.

‘The Blood Wolves are fast and strong—but that’s exactly what makes their weakness clear.’

They were ferocious—so ferocious that they had tunnel vision when facing prey.

So Freki, following my commands, approached strictly from their blind spots.

Wham―!

Freki leapt high and landed atop a Blood Wolf’s skull, crushing it instantly.

“Watch out!”

Another Blood Wolf ambushed him, but we had four eyes between us. Following my signal, Freki twisted his body and bit through the attacker’s neck.

Crunch!

The eerie crack of bones echoed, and the Blood Wolf fell limp like a puppet with cut strings.

“Next!”

Slash―!

Freki’s claws carved an elegant crescent arc through the air.

The next Blood Wolf’s head flew up into the air.

[You have slain 3 Blood Wolves.]
[Your level has increased by 1.]
[Freki’s level has increased by 1.]

“Gyaang!”
“Gyangeeeng!!”

My sharp reading of the battle combined with Freki’s physical prowess quickly turned the tide in our favor.

And once momentum swung our way, it only snowballed—ending the fight decisively.

[You have slain 7 Blood Wolves.]
[Your level has increased by 2.]
[Freki’s level has increased by 2.]

The number of Blood Wolves plummeted rapidly, and soon, we achieved an overwhelming victory.

[All waves successfully repelled!]
[Your level has increased by 6.]
[Calculating achievements…]

As the system message appeared, the corpses of the Blood Wolves turned to dust and scattered.

“Awooo!!”
“Awoo―!”

The gray wolves howled their victory song.

“Good job, Freki.”

I dismounted and ruffled his rough fur. He licked my face in response.

We basked in the sense of shared triumph.

It was only a small victory—but the first step toward my goal nonetheless.

However, the system seemed to think otherwise.

Ding!

[You have successfully tamed a beast immediately after class advancement.]
[You have tamed a creature of significantly higher level.]
[You have tamed a special entity.]
[You have successfully cleared a wave of drastically increased difficulty.]
[Your unstoppable progress has been recognized!]

Huh? So maybe it wasn’t a small victory.

Apparently, the system wanted to give me more than just experience points.

And hey, I wasn’t one to turn down free gifts.

[You have earned 1,000 Achievement Coins.]
[You have acquired the title: “The Baddest of the Badasses.”]

[The Baddest of the Badasses]

Rank: Legendary
Description: The badass writes legends from birth.
Permanently increases all stats by 10% (rounded).
Removes the “minimum stat” requirement for skill creation.

Achievement Coins were special currency usable only in the Achievement Shop—naturally, accessible only to players.

1,000 coins would buy some solid items for my level.

“Damn…”

Even I, used to generous rewards, couldn’t help but laugh at the title’s second effect.

“This is crazy good. Seriously.”

I had to admit—this victory was bigger than I’d thought.

A real leap forward toward my goal.

‘All stats permanently increased by 10%!?’

That would only become a greater asset as I grew stronger.

And since the increase was rounded up? Even better.

Not to mention—

[“Minimum stat” requirement removed.]
[“Wolf’s Step Lv.1 (D)” upgraded to “Blue Wolf’s Step Lv.1 (C)”.]

‘Now I can learn skills more easily.’

Even with restrictions remaining, just losing the stat requirement felt like I could finally breathe.

‘All right, focus. Time to get out before things get noisy.’

If I wanted to avoid trouble, I had to leave before the Gate raid team arrived.

Ding!

[All Hidden Pieces collected!]

“…Huh?”

But the snowball Freki had started rolling grabbed hold of my ankle just as I was about to leave.

[Hidden Pieces]

Tame “Freki.”
Achieve 100 loyalty with Freki.
Subdue all gray wolves without harming them.
Exterminate the Blood Wolves.

[All conditions met. Hidden Quest unlocked.]

[Hidden Quest: Freki’s Request]
Freki recognizes you as a player of loyalty and ability.
Help Freki rescue his only brother from the Blood Wolf tribe.

Rewards:
– Gate Boss: “Geri”
– Skill Book: Nest (F)

‘Hmm… so this is how it goes.’

I hadn’t expected a hidden quest, but I’d sensed the general direction.

Not common—but not exactly rare either.

‘Gate Evolution…’

That meant the gate’s rank was increasing in real time.

‘Otherwise, none of this would make sense.’

In the past, Freki had probably died trying to save his brother, losing the gate to the Blood Wolves—that would’ve been the so-called “Gate Evolution.”

The government and guild likely arrived late and cleared the evolved Blood Wolf Gate.

‘But this time, there’s me—a new variable.’

So the correct deduction was: Freki sensed something different about the regressed me, and made a new choice.

That’s why I’d never met him before.

‘Whatever the case, it’s good news for me.’

I’d be lying if I said the rewards didn’t tempt me.

Not only could I gain another beast as strong as Freki, but also a skill book.

Plus, Freki’s “Two as One (S―)” skill and “Conditional Growth Type” trait caught my eye.

“Would it be smarter to accept? No… it’ll cost me, too.”

I’d already ruled out failure as an option.

If I accepted, success was guaranteed. I had more than enough confidence.

The problem was what came after completing it.

Doing so would inevitably draw too much attention.

A newly awakened player clearing a gate solo?

It wasn’t unheard of—but it wasn’t common, either.

At the very least, it’d make the front-page news.

‘And that kind of attention breeds envy and sabotage…’

Plenty of people would start getting in my way.

‘Honestly, what worries me most is that those arrows might hit my mother instead of me.’

“Whine…”

Besides, if I entered the gate again now, my mother would be left alone.

‘Hmm… what should I do…’

Sensing my hesitation, Freki approached with a pitiful whimper.

I was about to stroke his head when his ears suddenly perked up, his gaze lifting sharply.

“…?”

He stared toward the tall tower nearby, his body tense with mild caution.

Around the tower, groups of players were gathering.

‘…Oh? Already?’

The government and guild had arrived.

Sooner than I expected.

‘If I remember right, the government rep should be that woman, and the guild side… Jotun Guild, I think.’

The Jotun Guild was unreliable—but that woman could be trusted.

‘She does her job well. A little too well.’

Honestly, she was so rigid that we didn’t get along well.

But that same rigidity had once helped me a lot.

She was an honest official who worked with strong principles and a sense of duty.

“Whine…”

I looked at Freki for a long moment, then turned toward my mother.

“Mom.”

“You’re… planning to go into the gate, aren’t you?”

Just from my expression, she already knew what I was thinking.

“Yes. I think I have to. But soon, the rescue team will be here. Please—stay close to the government people.”

“All right. I’ll play my part.”

“Your… part?”

“I’m not blind, you know. Go, and don’t worry about me.”

“…Got it.”

I nodded, realizing what she meant.

Still, worried about what she’d have to endure, I asked softly, “You don’t have anything else you want to ask me?”

“If it were something you could tell me, you’d have already said it. I understand. Go on.”

“…Then I’ll be back soon. For dinner—”

“We’ll have your favorite—spicy pork.”

Her answer made me smile. I turned and entered the gate.

[Entering the Purple Gate.]
[Gate evolving. Warning: unexpected events may occur.]

Now that I’d become the Fire Attribute’s devoted son, I’d make damn sure this snowball rolled big.

15 minutes later — at the Gate site

Government and guild-affiliated players began arriving one after another.

More precisely—a few government players, and a lot of guild players.

Since the government always suffered from manpower shortages, they often relied on the guilds’ numbers for gate management.

Among them, the most swaggering arrival was a giant man carrying a hammer taller than himself.

“Hey there, Officer Seo. Long time no see.”

“Team Leader Jang Seonghan. So it is the Jotun Guild’s turn today.”

The one he greeted was a woman with short hair and rimless glasses.

“What’s that supposed to mean, ‘so it is’? Don’t be so cold! Anyway… Officer Seo. Or should I say, Ms. Seo Gyeoul?”

“……”

“Had dinner yet? If not, how about some pork belly and soju later―”

“I refuse.”

Jang Seonghan tried flirting, but Seo Gyeoul coldly rejected him like an ice blade. Clearly, this wasn’t his first time being brushed off—he smoothly changed the subject.

“That chilly attitude’s part of your charm! Anyway, the gate’s secured, right?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Time to stretch my legs a bit.”

But for some reason, Seo Gyeoul’s brow twitched in irritation.

“As expected, you have no idea. We clearly sent an official notice instructing all team leaders to complete the ‘Basics and Principles of Gate Management’ course. Should the management team take this as evidence that the Jotun Guild’s discipline has deteriorated, or simply that your personal competence is lacking?”

“W–what!? Come on, I can clear a Purple Gate with my eyes closed―”

“It’s been three years since gates started appearing.”

“Tch…”

He barely deflected her verbal barrage, but her next factual strike finished him.

“The Jotun Guild’s competency audit is next month, isn’t it? You’d better study hard—since I’ll be the inspector.”

“……”

Jang Seonghan fell silent, while Seo Gyeoul smirked faintly and began reading her report.

“April 3rd, 2034, 17:26. A Vision-type Gate appeared in Amsa 1-dong, Gangdong District. Initially classified as Purple, now evolving to Indigo grade. The most important point…”

All players, including Seo Gyeoul, turned to look at the gate.

Its surface rippled violently like rough waves.

That meant entry was impossible—someone was already inside.

“There’s already a guest in there.”

“Who the hell!? Which guild? Goblin? Or those lunatics from the Followers?!”

At his outburst, Seo Gyeoul’s gaze shifted toward a middle-aged woman standing nearby, staring anxiously at the gate.

“They say her son went in recklessly. Likely a freshly awakened player.”

“……”

Silence blanketed the scene.

It happened sometimes—people suddenly awakened due to exposure to energy storms.

And those people tended to get overconfident easily.

If he’d even managed to block a wave by sheer luck, his ego would be through the roof.