It was exactly like he thought. The ground level outside the staging area was littered with huge boulders and rocky terrain. It was ideal for dealing with a large monster, but the slick and rocky terrain would make any attempts at fancy footwork difficult.

If they could draw the monster out here, then-

“You and sunbae have a complicated relationship.”

It was less of a question and more of a statement.

Seunghyo smiled. A snarky response popped into his head, but he decided against it and took a deep breath instead.

“Did she ever tell you why she chose to become a shield knight?”

Willow shook her head. “I think she mentioned something about wanting to be a knight, but she’s never really talked about it.”

“It was because of her father, actually.”

At the Academy, Hana had struggled after her brother’s disappearance. Once she realized there wasn’t much she could do as an Academy student, she refocused her time and effort into training.

“The thing is, she wanted to follow in Jinyoung’s footsteps and become a ‘red knight’,” Seunghyo continued.

Willow’s eyebrow raised. Red knights were a hybrid class that specialized in close-quarters combat like fighters, but they also had access to spells like scholars. It made them incredibly effective in combat thanks to their combination of physical and arcane attacks.

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After a moment lost in thought, Willow spoke.

“That… doesn’t sound like her.”

The pathfinder nodded. “It doesn’t. It didn’t. And until her father finally sat her down, I don’t think she saw it herself.”

It had been a year after Hana had become a ‘squire’ that her next job upgrade was available. Even Seunghyo tried to dissuade her from becoming a red knight, but she hadn’t listened. Finally, he’d put the call into her father to talk to her.

“I’m glad,” Willow said. “I can’t imagine her as a red knight.”

“Neither could I,” Seunghyo thought back. “She wanted to do it for the wrong reasons. Not to mention the whole ‘berserker’ thing and now her father.”

Willow didn’t understand everything Seunghyo said, but she thought better of prying.

***

After he explained the quest to Hana, she grew quiet. More than likely planning and re-thinking strategies in her head. So, instead of waiting for a response, Jinyoung followed suit and did the same.

QUEST: Hard Target

OBJECTIVE: Defeat the SIN Wraith in battle.

FAILURE: Death.

REWARD: Wraith Shroud

The monsters that appeared after the Break had one thing in common: they were all lethal. From the lowest stone rollers to the smaller rabid claws, monsters reacted to the presence of humans with violence.

Wraiths were a particular danger to parties thanks to their ability to phase in and out of physical reality. When they phased out, any and all physical attacks would move through their bodies without leaving any trace of damage.

Of course, they were still vulnerable to magic and arcane attacks. The kind that scholars specialize in.

Jinyoung busied himself with taking stock of the area. Some of Hana’s skills like her [Shield Bash] would be helpful. And while he hadn’t seen Seunghyo in action, pathfinders had one or two arcane-type skills which would come in handy.

Of course, that was when considering a regular wraith. A SIN wraith would certainly prove more difficult.

“I think we’ll need to draw it out. If it’s as fast as Seunghyo says, then I should be the one to open the gate lock and-”

“No.”

Hana’s voice was low, almost a whisper. But her tone left no space for argument and her decision was firm.

“There is no way we’re taking this thing on.”