The roar that tore through the banquet hall was not human.

  The massive double doors exploded inward, sending splinters of mahogany flying like shrapnel. Through the debris, a creature surged into the light of the crystal chandeliers. It was the size of a small car, its body a jagged amalgamation of translucent blue ice and matted white fur. Its eyes burned with a freezing, spectral blue flame, and as it exhaled, the air around its muzzle instantly turned to mist.

  A Frost Hound.

  "What... what is that?" Isabella whispered, her hand trembling around the handle of the steak knife.

  "A scout," Do-Hyun replied, his voice flat. He was scanning the room's exits. "And where there is a scout, the pack follows."

  [System Analysis: Rank E Frost Hound. Abilities: Flash Freeze, Razor Claws. Threat Level to Host: Minimal. Threat Level to the idiots in tuxedos: Catastrophic.]

  [Quest Update: 'The Shadow's Introduction'. New Objective: Kill the puppy before it eats the Female Lead. Reward: +2% Vitality.]

  Pandemonium erupted.

  The elite of Seoul, who seconds ago had been discussing stock options and summer homes, dissolved into a screaming, terrified mob. They trampled over each other, knocking over tables and spilling expensive wine that looked disturbingly like blood on the white tablecloths.

  "Protect the Chairman!" a security chief roared.

  Three bodyguards in black suits stepped forward, drawing handguns. They opened fire. Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The bullets sparked against the hound's icy hide, chipping away small flakes but doing no real damage. The beast didn't even flinch. It let out a guttural snarl and lunged.

  It moved with terrifying speed for something so heavy. In a blur of white and blue, it tackled the lead bodyguard. There was a wet crunch, and the man's scream was cut short as the beast's jaws clamped down.

  The crowd shrieked. Park Min-Jae, who had been fleeing, tripped over a fallen chair and scrambled backward on his hands and knees, sobbing.

  The Frost Hound lifted its head, blood dripping from its icicle-teeth. It sniffed the air. Its blue eyes snapped toward the corner of the room, where Isabella was standing.

  [System Warning: It smells her latent Mana. To a monster, she smells like a warm cinnamon roll in a freezer. Incoming!]

  "It's looking at us," Isabella said, her voice tight. She raised the knife, her stance wide. Though terrified, she refused to back down.

  "Drop the knife," Do-Hyun said calmly.

  "What?!"

  "It's a steak knife. You might as well tickle it," Do-Hyun said. He stepped in front of her. "Stay behind me."

  The beast roared and charged. It bounded over the overturned tables, its claws gouging deep furrows into the marble floor.

  Do-Hyun stood still, his hands hanging loosely by his sides.

  "Do-Hyun! Move!" Isabella screamed, grabbing his coat to pull him back.

  But Do-Hyun was already there—mentally.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Shadow Bind.

  Do-Hyun's violet eyes flashed. The shadow cast by the towering ice swan sculpture suddenly elongated, stretching across the floor like a dark serpent. Just as the Frost Hound leaped into the air to crush them, the shadow lashed out and wrapped around the beast's hind leg.

  It wasn't enough to hold the monster for long, but physics did the rest.

  The beast's momentum was arrested mid-air. It yanked back with a violent jerk, flipping clumsily and crashing hard onto the banquet table in front of them. Crystal glasses shattered, and the beast slid across the wet tablecloth, disoriented.

  It shook its head, trying to rise, its neck exposed.

  Do-Hyun moved—with lightning speed.

  To Isabella, it looked like he simply vanished and reappeared next to the stunned beast.

  His right hand opened, and the heavy Survival Knife he had stolen earlier materialized from the void.

  [Critical Strike Opportunity Detected. Aim for the eye, Host. Don't make a mess.]

  Do-Hyun reversed his grip on the knife and stabbed with precision. The blade drove down into the creature's left eye, angling it upward into the brain.

  The beast convulsed twice before slumping onto the table, dead.

  Do-Hyun withdrew the knife. The black blood of the creature hissed as it hit the floor, freezing instantly into dark pebbles. He wiped the blade on the tablecloth and slid it back into his jacket pocket (and into his inventory) in one smooth motion.

  The entire sequence had taken less than five seconds.

  The hall was silent, save for the whimpering of the injured guard and the distant wail of sirens.

  Isabella stared at the back of the man standing over the corpse, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She had seen it. The way the shadow moved. The way a knife appeared out of thin air.

  This wasn't the sickly Kang Do-Hyun she had heard of.

  Do-Hyun turned around looking bored. He pulled out his handkerchief again and wiped a speck of frost from his lapel.

  "Like I said," Do-Hyun muttered, looking at the carcass. "Dog food."

  [Quest Complete: 'The Shadow's Introduction'.]

  [Reward: +2% Vitality. Current Vitality: 8.7%. Look at you, barely wheezing after one kill. I'm so proud.]

  Before Isabella could speak, the illusion of safety shattered.

  A second roar echoed from the lobby. Then a third.

  "There's more!" someone screamed.

  "We need to leave," Do-Hyun said, his voice cutting through Isabella's shock. He grabbed her wrist tightly. "The noise attracted the pack. This building is a glass trap."

  "My... my parents," Isabella stammered, looking frantically toward the VIP section where the older generation had been huddled.

  "Your parents have private security teams dragging them to the panic rooms right now," Do-Hyun said coldly. "You don't. You're coming with me."

  He pulled her toward the service exit, moving against the flow of the panicked crowd.

  As they burst into the kitchen, the temperature dropped even further. The chefs were gone. The ovens were cold.

  Do-Hyun kicked open the back door leading to the loading dock. The wind outside was a howling gale of ice. Snow was falling so thick it was hard to see five feet ahead.

  "My car," Isabella shouted over the wind. "My driver is—"

  "Dead or ran off," Do-Hyun interrupted. "Look."

  He pointed to the parking lot. Several luxury cars were smashed, their windshields caved in. Shadows moved in the blizzard—large, wolf-like shapes circling the perimeter.

  "We can't use a car," Do-Hyun said. "The engine noise will attract them, so it is better to walk."

  "Walk? In this?" Isabella yelled, hugging her bare arms. She was still wearing the sleeveless crimson dress, her lips already turning blue.

  Do-Hyun stopped. He looked at her, shivering violently in the snow.

  [System Alert: Female Lead is entering early stages of Hypothermia. If she freezes to death, the romance subplot dies with her. And I really wanted to see your awkward attempt at flirting."]

  [Recommendation: Be a gentleman.]

  Do-Hyun sighed, reaching into the empty air beside him. A ripple of darkness distorted the space, and he pulled out one of the thick Egyptian Cotton Thermal Blankets he had stolen earlier.

  He wrapped it around Isabella, pulling it tight over her shoulders.

  "It's not fashion," Do-Hyun said, his voice surprisingly soft as he adjusted the blanket around her neck. "But it will keep you alive."

  Isabella looked up at him, her amber eyes wide. The blanket was warm, smelling of lavender from his closet. She looked at his face—pale, calm, and terrifyingly beautiful in the snowstorm.

  "How did you do that?" she whispered, her teeth chattering. "The knife... the blanket... the shadow..."

  Do-Hyun turned away, facing the dark alleyway. His violet eyes glowed faintly in the gloom.

  "The world just ended, Isabella," he said, stepping into the dark. "Stop asking questions and start walking. Unless you want to see what the rest of the pack looks like."

  Isabella hesitated for a heartbeat, unsure of what to do. She looked back at the hotel, where screams were still ringing out. Then she turned her gaze toward the "Trash Prince."

  She tightened the blanket around herself and followed him into the night.