## Chapter 280 – Winter Sonata
It snowed a lot.
“Damn it.”
It wasn’t just a lot; it was a goddamn blizzard.
“You little shits.”
I muttered a curse under my breath, witnessing the city’s transformation into something akin to hell. With the apocalypse upon us, how could I not swear? The whole world was painted in a pure white, like a madman’s nightmare. Hell must surely be this color.
It was as if two meters of snow had fallen overnight, burying the world and turning the entire city into a snow-covered hill. A scene only clueless kids would enjoy.
A deep sigh escaped my lips.
That was the sight that greeted me from the balcony.
At this rate, I won’t be able to go hunting today.
“Oh my.”
Claudie’s eyes sparkled as she came to my side and looked outside.
“Does it snow this much?”
It seemed that even though it snowed in the desert, it didn’t usually blizzard. Claudie, seeing the nearly two meters of accumulated snow, grabbed the balcony railing with a look of wonder, craning her neck to take in the city.
“Claudie, let’s get you dressed first.”
“Ah.”
She was currently wearing nothing more than a set of alluring black lingerie.
What if someone saw?
Anyway, there were already people out clearing the snow in groups. Usually, when a blizzard hit, the adventurer’s guild, entrusted by the lord, would gather the city’s dregs, beggars, and F-rank adventurers to clear the snow for cheap wages.
Clearing snow for next to nothing, while also providing relief to the poor.
I’d done it plenty of times myself.
Looking down at that past version of myself from the third-floor balcony of a luxurious inn filled me with mixed emotions.
This must be the dignity of a Heavenly Demon.
“Hey… close the door… it’s drafty…”
Winia, wrapped in blankets like a cocoon, said in a dying voice.
As I apologized and went to close the window, Claudie, wearing a pink robe, came inside. I closed the door and looked at the scenery outside with her.
“It’s amazing. It’s the first time I’ve seen so much snow.”
“Hehe, right? I’ve seen it so much. It’s definitely amazing the first time.”
Snow.
So much snow.
I was supposed to meet Copson and Meria in front of the guild this morning, but seeing this mess, I figured they wouldn’t show up either. The traffic was already paralyzed. The blizzard had come too early.
“Still, I don’t like the cold.”
“Come here.”
Claudie wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder.
The blizzard.
The people clearing snow.
As I continued to watch them with her, an unknown inner impulse began to stir within me.
ㅡIn addition, my hands were trembling.
An irresistible impulse, that’s what this was.
“ㅡI have to go out.”
“Katt?”
I immediately got dressed.
I didn’t bother with equipment. Clothes, winter gear, and a quilted armor and cloak to wear like a padded jacket were enough. I didn’t need armor and a sword to do ‘that.’
As I rummaged through my clothes, putting on my pants, Winia, who had propped herself up, rubbed her shoulders and arms before taking off her bra and offering it to me.
“It’s fucking cold, what are you going out for? Come here and suck on my tits, I’m cold.”
“It’s a kind offer, but…”
For a moment, I was tempted.
“ㅡThe world needs me.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
This world needed me, Kim Katt.
Of course, spending time in bed with Winia, sucking on her breasts in comfort and happiness, wouldn’t be bad on a cold day like this. It would also be nice to warm up Claudie, who was sensitive to the cold.
But this impulse.
It was impossible to resist.
“I’ll be back.”
“Ugh, Katt. Can’t you just stay with me? It’s cold.”
“Claudie… I have to save the world.”
I stared at her with a resolute and determined heart.
“What on earth does that mean…? I see.”
Claudie, who had been questioning for a moment, smiled kindly.
“I’ll be looking forward to tonight instead?”
“Hehehe, sure. Winia! I’m heading out!”
“That darkie is really full of energy. Ah, it’s cold. Sis, come in here quickly.”
Winia, who had unwrapped herself from her cocoon, lifted the blanket.
I chuckled as I watched Claudie go in there, and then I headed outside.
“Ah.”
It was time for snow removal.
Snow removal.
Snow removal! I shouted that hateful word loudly in my heart as I went down to the first floor. Snow removal…! What a hateful echo! I repeated that word, fit for a madman’s nightmare. Then, along with an instinctive aversion, a fighting spirit surged.
This was a battlefield.
“Hey! Don’t stand around!”
“Yeah, yeah! Scoop it up and pile it over there!”
“It’s too cold! Supervisor! When’s our break!”
“You’ll get a break when you’ve cleared this whole area, worker.”
The streets were already in the midst of snow removal.
The unpleasant, fishy smell of snow wafted through the air… the smell of the battlefield. I immediately headed towards the adventurer’s guild. The path had already been cleared, so I was able to get there quickly.
“Oh! Barbarian! You’ve come! I thought you weren’t coming!”
“Hi, hi.”
Copson and Meria, holding snow shovels, were clearing snow.
“What’s up? You guys doing it too?”
“We can’t go outside the city anyway, so we have to do something.”
“I came out thinking you guys might be waiting, but there was nothing else to do, so I was doing it.”
Such conscientious guys.
I would have been screwed if they hadn’t come.
I greeted them and went into the guild to register for snow removal. It was simple labor, so the daily wage was 4 coppers. Of course, I had the confidence that I could increase my pay as much as I wanted depending on my performance.
I immediately took a snow shovel, went outside, and approached the supervisor.
“I’m here to clear snow.”
“Hmm, you’re a big guy. Okay, I’ll explain the snow removal work to you. Our area is from over there to over there…”
“ㅡNo explanation needed.”
Heavenly Demon Snow Removal Technique (天魔除雪輔).
I slammed the head of the snow shovel into the ground. With a thud! Fragments of snow scattered, and strength surged from every muscle in my body. Brat, how dare you try to teach this Heavenly Demon about snow removal.
I am snow removal, and snow removal is me.
Don’t you dare open your mouth carelessly, you ignorant lamb.
ㅡBubbling.
The surging fighting spirit finally took shape, becoming a pure white steam that rose from my shoulders.
“…You?”
I lifted the snow shovel.
This puny snow is no match for me.
ㅡThe northernmost part of Gangwon Province.
I, Sergeant Kim Katt of the Army, was the one who single-handedly eliminated all the cold snow peaks of the Eternal Snow Mountain (萬年雪山), where the snow never melts.
How many hundreds of millions, trillions, quadrillions of soldiers met their tragic end trying to drive the snow out of that mountain? It was my clear achievement and reputation to have turned that white hell into a snow-free zone with my own strength.
And now I have descended here.
Winter? Come at me. I may lose to everything else, but I will never lose to winter. Even if the armies of ice and snow and the soldiers of bitter cold come crashing down, they are nothing more than scarecrow armies if this Heavenly Demon is here!
Now, behold! My power!
ㅡScreeeeeeeeeech!!!
I screamed and circulated mana throughout my body.
Overflowing strength. An astonishing power erupting! I plunged the raised shovel into the snow! ㅡCrash! With a roar, the snow barrier collapsed in an instant, and the scooped-up snow flew into the sky.
It flew and slammed into the pile of cleared snow.
“Is that where we’re supposed to pile the snow?”
“Uh… of course.”
“If I do the work of two people alone, will you pay me double?”
I asked the supervisor, scattering a menacing aura.
“You seem confident! Go ahead and try!”
“Uwoooooooootㅡ!!!!!”
Seeing that they were going to dig a path and push all the snow into the underground waterway, I immediately threw myself into the front lines of snow removal.
ㅡWhap whap whap!!
“Wh-what!”
“An incredible force!”
In an instant, the snow barriers began to be dug up and disappear.
These obstacles are no problem for me, who has gained true strength. I grab the shovel and use the power of potential energy and gravity to thrust it in with minimal effort.
There is nothing more important than distributing your stamina and using it correctly when removing snow. I use the principle of leverage to scoop out the snow. And then, the Heavenly Demon Snow Removal Technique again. I scoop up the snow and throw it.
ㅡWham!
“I-I can’t believe it! Barbarian!”
“Oh my god!”
Copson, Meria, and the other workers began to fall over in surprise. I was “뚫고 (piercing)” and “창조하고 (creating)” a path in an instant, spreading my wings of snow.
ㅡYou little punks just watch from there.
I said that with my eyes alone, unleashing hatred and anger. “Amazing!” The supervisor exclaimed. I was already doing more than twice, no, three times… no, five times the work of a normal worker!
“The power of mana!!!!”
I screamed and smashed the snow barrier! Private Kim Katt of the Republic of Korea Army will never be defeated by snow! Drawing out 100% of my power, I was overwhelming the world!
“We can’t lose either!”
“Hey! Don’t just stand there and watch!”
Whether they were moved by my appearance or not, Copson and the workers around me tried to imitate me with clumsy movements, but they could not keep up with my skills as a veteran of countless battles.
You guys are too inexperienced.
“Hey, get out of the way! What kind of shoveling is that!”
Unable to bear the sight of that pathetic scene any longer, I burst out in anger.
“This is how you shovel snow, damn it. Watch closely.”
“Oh!”
The specialist of snow removal, the giant Tyrannosaurus of snow removal. The assassin of snow removal. No, the Snow Removal Heavenly Demon (除雪天魔) Kim Katt, plunged his shovel into the side of a snowdrift almost as big as a houseㅡ
“Kuaaaaaaaah!!”
ㅡBoom!
That huge snowdrift went flying!
And the path was cleared.
“Okay, everyone, from now on, this is how you remove snow.”
“…”
The people who watched the snowdrift get destroyed were silent for a moment, then cheered again. This was the arrival of the Heavenly Demon.
“Supervisor. It seems like my daily wage of 4 coppers is not enough.”
“I’ll give you 30 coppers… no, more than that, why is someone like you doing snow removal work in the first place? It’s great that you’re a big help, but isn’t it a waste of time?”
To that question.
“Salvation and enlightenment.”
I answer.
“No reason is needed.”
It snowed a lot.
It displeased me.
That’s all.
The Heavenly Demon never forgives the little shits who displease him. It is his nature to chase them down and annihilate them to the end.
And so, working together with the people, I was able to clear the snow until around noon and earn 30 coppers as a daily wage. Using mana means that you have entered the realm of superhumans.
When ordinary people and superhumans do the same labor, it is only natural that there is a difference in unit price.
“Then I’ll be going back now.”
“That crazy barbarian.”
“That was something.”
Unfortunately, Copson and Meria had to work until sunset. Seeing that it was snowing lightly again, it seemed that they would be stuck in the city for a few days, unable to go out.
That’s why winter sucks.
“Looks like we won’t be able to go out for a while.”
“It seems so. Let’s go hunting again when the blizzard is over.”
Copson said that, though I didn’t know if it would happen.
“Well, let’s do that.”
“The snow mountain is covered in snow, so the owlbears must be sleeping the deepest. It would be good to go out as soon as it’s cleared up.”
“Seriously? You haven’t given up on that yet?”
It seemed that he still couldn’t let go of his attachment to the owlbear. Was the adventurer’s soul burning?
“Even if I only catch one and skin it, it’s worth dozens of silver, how can I give up? These days, I close my eyes and all I can see is that in my head.”
“Damn it, then we have to do it no matter what!”
“Hehehe, you greedy barbarian.”
Thud. Meria, who had leaned her shovel against the snow wall, wiped her sweat and came over to ask.
“Is owlbear leather that expensive?”
“Yes, Miss Meria. There are a lot of people who have failed, so the price seems to have gone up a bit more.”
Without lying, I thought it was worth a try for dozens of silver. I said goodbye and returned to the inn.
My two wives welcomed me, happy that I had come back earlier than expected.
And so, for the next few days, I spent my time peacefully, clearing snow and lazing around.
The blizzard had stopped, but it still took quite a while to clear what had already fallen. It was only when winter was about halfway over that we were able to go outside the city again.
“Today is the day we hunt the owlbear!”
“Oh!”
