Urban District
A sword glowing faintly red pierced the transparent figure's body, emerging from its back.
Zzz—
Accompanied by a shriek that shook the soul, the Transparent Monster, bristling with countless arrows and broken swords, swayed before falling backward onto the ground.
Fine cracks spread outward from where the weapons had pierced it, like ice that had been punctured and shattered. In the end, they formed a complete web that enveloped the entire monster.
"General." Several soldiers immediately rushed forward and supported the figure that had fallen from the air.
"I'm fine." Castor raised a hand, refusing the soldiers' help.
He lowered his head and looked at the transparent monster lying ahead, less than a person tall, then let out a long breath.
"So this thing was behind those recent disappearances, wasn't it?" An officer resembling an adjutant stepped up beside Castor and stared at the motionless Transparent Monster. "Even with magical weapons, we still lost so many men."
"Yes." Castor nodded lightly. "Who knows where monsters like these came from? We've never seen them before."
He raised his gaze and looked around. Corpses of soldiers lay scattered throughout the narrow street. Blood had dyed the thin ice and white snow on the ground crimson. Around the Transparent Monster whose body had shattered, it looked like bloody flowers blooming in the snow.
"Cough—" He lowered his head and coughed up blood. "If there had been even one more of these monsters, we'd all have died here."
"Yes." The adjutant nodded lightly, deeply affected.
Boom—
As they spoke, a violent tremor seemed to come from the distance.
Then a fierce gale suddenly rushed toward them, followed by violently falling snow.
Bone-piercing cold penetrated their skin and seeped into their marrow.
A shrill howl rang within everyone's souls.
Castor looked up, his