tick!
gulp
tick!
I stare at the second hand of the clock making rounds.
"...it's time"
sigh...
Lee Jihye was standing a few steps away from me, staring back at the path we came from.
"...did we truly... can he be trusted?" Her voice was low, shaky. Every few seconds, her body trembled.
I silently stared at her eyes. They are filled with worries and uncertainty. Honestly, I don't know the answer to that myself.
It really was complete leap of faith on our part. I am unsure myself. For a second a thought tugged my mind 'We had agreed to follow that guy name Kim Dojka's plan so why is she now showing reluctance after acting.' .
Yet I say none of that. I swallowed what I truly think.
I breathed in a chest full of air as my back straightens.
"let time do it's thing"
She stood still, nodding. Her gaze is locked to the floor.
Shin Yoosung quietly walks up to her, talking Lee Jihye's hand onto her own. Lee Jihye's body jerks just a little. It was very subtle. Yet neither me nor Yoosung had missed it.
Lee Jihye put on a confident grin as she notices Shin Yoosung.
"Are you scared little yoosung?" she ruffled shin Yoosung's hair , "don't worry! this unni will keep you safe."
I felt a notch at the base of my throat. It was hard to explain.
'Lee Jihye'
She is very unaffected by the changes of the world. Fearless and ruthless, uncaring of lives. Or that's what one will say if someone look at her from a far. It's very easy to mistake her like that.
Yet she is not like that, not at all.
No, that not entirely correct.
She IS brave, ready to fight anyone. That part is true. But She is scared just like the rest. she is not ruthless nor ready to kill anyone without remorse. In fact I would go as far to say she's a little too kind.
Feeling my gaze Lee Jihye looks up from Shin Yoosung to me, our eyes locking. Shin Yoosung feeling a shift, followed her gaze to me.
"oi! why're ya looking at me like that? wanna say something?"
My eyes jerked. My eyes shift between theirs. I gave an awkward smile, shaking my head. "Nothing."
We all let out a shaky exhale. I felt an unnoticed tension leave my body along the air I exhaled.
A silence sets in as our eyes looks on each other. Both of their, for a few second looked past me before widening as in realization then locks on to me.
'wh-hy are they looking a me like that?' I frowning seeing their eyes shinning like they are waiting for something. Just to be sure, I look around a bit.
'no, there is nothing but a clock....'
"....so what are we going...to do now?" Shin Yoosung askes.
'right...clock'
"Well then, we will go to me-"
[All green zones in this region have been destroyed and the main scenario has collapsed.]
[The difficulty is automatically adjusted according to the remaining schedule of the scenario.]
[The scenario content is updated!]
[Main Scenario #3 – Emergency Defense]
Category: Main
Difficulty: B-
Clear Conditions: All the green zones in the region are destroyed and the monsters that were going to be created in the remaining days have suddenly run wild. Survive against the flood of monsters for the remaining time.
Duration: 8 hours.
Compensation: 1,000 coins.
Failure: ―
[The emergency defense has begun!]
I paused... no all of us.
I stared away from the screen to look at the girls. "Well, he was right about this part" I shrug at the irony.
"w-what!!"
Screams came down the hallway. I look to the opposite side to see monsters coming.
I face toward the other two, "Well?"
I smile at them
"Let's go"
...
Screams filled the station as monsters appeared from all around. I cut through the rushing horde making a path. Lee Jihye cut any monster that flanked from my blind spot and Shin yoosung follow right behind me while riding Mochi.
As we approach the line 3 transit area, screams became loader. Panic screams, screams in agony. as we make the last turn.
"Seojin, is that..."
"I know" I don't look back to Lee jihye, I know what she's about to say.
Blood splattered everywhere and people screamed as some had their limbs were torn off.
A wall of people were trying to hold the wave of monsters back. Behind them stood Gong Pildu.
From the mana gathering around him, it is obvious he's trying to deploy his armed zone.
This was one of the weakness I had found in our time together. It is over powered BUT! It takes a long time for it to be redeployed if the armed zone is moved or destroyed .
As we rush forward, my eyes land on the floor above, where the meeting place is. The stairs leading to the upper floor is destroyed. Over the ledge stood Kim Dojka.
I look back at my companions.
I didn't need to spell it out what I want to do, they understood.
We make way through the horde. In seconds, we are almost closing the distance-
I set my lead foot hard on the ground, it cut forward through the tiles as I rotate my hips. My sword came swinging toward the horde, glowing with burst of mana, My party ran forward past me as I swing my sword in an arc.
Following the arc a burst of mana cut forward. The flash from it is blinding.
Shake. Dust scattered everywhere.
Silence.
No roar, no scream. No endless footsteps.
As the dust settles
Death.
following my arc, monsters within the give or take seven to eight meters were obliterated, while at the back, those were cleaved in half. The tile beneath the floor, the two pillars we not spared as well. Chunk of ceiling was destroyed as well.
Everyone one stood awe struck.
huff!*
I tried to control the output so I don't get drained like last time....but its still drained most amount of my mana pool.
Monsters rushed forward again, the sound of endless foots steps along with their roars. The people who thought it was over, tensed up again. But this time many were sighing in relief.
I walked toward the ground of people. If not for the situation, I would have laughed. Gong Pildu, once terrified at the sight of me, used to seem like he can breathe if I am gone is now looked at me like he is seeing a savior.
He tries to open his mouth but I cut him short.
"If you want to survive... save yourself."
It wasn't just toward him, but to everyone.
"wh-what-"
I pay no mind to them.
I quickly throw mochi and toto up on the up floor and pick the girls under my arms, similar to how you pick up a sack of potato.
Lee jihye immediately started squirming, "wh-what are you doing! le-let go-" before she could complete her tantrum I had already jumped and landed on the floor above.
As soon as I land, I let her go as per her request. She fell face down, butt sticking up in the air. "HEY!" She quickly got up, rushed unto my face "What the heck! could you have put me on the floor gently!-"
"Well! it's your fault, why were you squirming so much?!"
She looked at me dumbfounded. For a second she start nodding to my reasoning before her eyes widen again. "...hey. wait no, I could hav-"
"yeah yeah.. " her head starts nodding to my shaking in denial to her.
"no I re-"
"shh" I tap index in her lips "be good. I am right."
This anger her instantly.
Her face turns bright red.
We bickered for a few minute before we remember the situation are in. She quickly quiets down, looking at others, face burning even more red. My head shifts else where.
I look down at Shin Yoosung.
She was hanging as my arm was warped around her hip. See my looking at her, she gave a short wave, as if saying 'you remember me!?'
I couldn't help but almost laugh. She is looking at me with big round eyes. She had a face similar to how a cat who had accepted her fate would have. I bring my hand to her face to softly pinch her cheek.
Shin Yoosung's eyes widens as my hand approachs her face, "hey! SEWOJIN swop!" Lee Jihye give a quick glance before turning her head, eyes wide.
"Hey! what are you doing!"
She quickly rushed forward
"STOP IT! Put her down!"
I look her, eyes a bit resentful
"okay~ mom"
Lee Jihye froze.
"..."
"..."
"I'M NOT YOUR MOM!"
she tries to hit my head. But I am fast.
"STOP! FOCUS!"
She quickly turned around but was shocked to see, the Kim Seojin who was should be behind was in front of her. His back straight like a wall, the air twisting around him.
Lee Jihye's brows knitted closer. To her, for some reason, the drastic shift in Kim Seojin's demeanor felt confusing. - from messing around to this. She felt like, he is a gun that one twitch of the muscle away from firing forward. Her head tilted to the side, as thought unknown to the world ran in her head.
The upper floor became silent - for those who were present on the upper floor, the sound from the floor below became distant. Both parties became tense. Kim Dojka looks toward Kim seojin. His face was calm, but his twitching facial muscle said otherwise. Lee Hyunsung feeling things may get ugly tries to position himself between Kim seojin and Kim Dojka.
But Seeing kim Dojka's little hand gesture form him to stay put, he retracts the step he had taken. It's not just him but most of the others too had done the same.
Well, most because -
"oi!, what's up with you, pretty boy?" Jung Heewon said with gritty smile as she stepped between the Kim duo.
Kim seojin's eyes locks on Jung Heewon. Shin Yoosung's breathing quickens for a split second. It appeared that seojin is about to spring forward. But her tense shoulders relaxed seeing Kim Seojin's demeanor calming.
...
Kim Seojin -
I look at Jung Heewon. Now....my heart rate did spike at her comment. However, it drowned just as quickly as it came up.
I look at Kim Dojka,
"...Kim Dojka"
hearing my cold voice, Jung Heewon's playful smile goes away.
"...this isn't what you had promised us..." my chin pointing below.
Jung Heewon eyes widened a bit before looking at the lower floor. She gave one look a Kim Dojka before move to the side a bit, giving a better view of Kim Dojka.
"AGGGHHH!"
Following the scream I look below. Many were abandoning the line they had formed.
'they won't make it'
Gong Pildu's zone is almost up. 4-5minutes give or take.
'mm...' my lips purse
Panicked Lee Jihye's walks forward "Ahjussi. This isn't what you told me. If you leave it like this…" She didn't wait for Kim Dojka to answer, she looked to me.
Her eyes... she was asking. If I could do something. For second I consider intervening.
Kim Dojka suddenly screamed "Yoo Sangah-ssi."
"Yes. Please leave it to me." Yoo Sangah stepped forward. Her Binding Thread stretched out and started to rescue the people who couldn't fight anymore.
Kim Dojka stepped toward us "please wait....I know you concern..."
"please trust me.... I will... keep my word."
He looked at me specifically before bowing his head, "thank you for helping."
"Tsk*." I couldn't help but snicker at this hypocritic prophet. "....yeah yeah"
Lee Jihye's head shift between the injured and down below. Seeing me backing down, she too reluctantly backed down.
I see from the corner of my eye Kim Dojka take to one of the rescued people about some bounty.
[The time limit for the bounty scenario has expired.]
[The bounty hanging on Kim Dokja has been destroyed.]
'damn, how did I miss that.' I look at him.
Kim Dojka shudders as he sees me looking at him. He gave a awkward wave.
'whatever.'
broomm
'Ah so it started'
Gong Pildo had successful deployed his Armed zone.
"GET OUT THE WAY!" Gong Pildo screamed.
There was a mechanical sound as five turrets rose from the ground. The red magic bullets condensed in a short time and started firing.
Dududududu!
Kwang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
The ground rats screamed as they were hit by the bombardment of magic bullets while the grolls came to a halt. The group of people cried out.
"As expected of Pildu-ssi!"
"Wahhhh!"
I look down to the people who are praising Gong Pildu and many sighing in relief that they are saved. 'this will not last long.'
Like how a gun can't forever with a single magazine, he will run out of mana.
'I wonder if he or his sponsor has enough coins to buy enough mana recovery potions.'