The Seventh Ruin Fragment

—Boom!Boom!

But even after a long while, nothing emerged from inside.

"......."

"......"

Jeong Suhyun and I just stood there in a daze, watching the Rocket Mart and its surrounding lot go up in flames.

Now the black smoke blotted out the sky, and the noise had drawn zombies swarming in from everywhere. I felt my eyes stinging and covered my mouth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with my hand.

"Cough."

"....There was definitely something in there."

"Let's go."

I led Jeong Suhyun up the intersection road, turning toward the walking path we'd come from. There was no reason to stick around here anymore.

Jeong Suhyun looked uneasy as he spoke to me. "What about the thing inside?"

"Forget it. It probably died on its own, right?"

"....Pardon?"

"If it hasn't come out by now, it's dead."

"Well, that's true, but..."

I'd said it died on its own, but I knew better. That thing definitely burned to death inside. Because after I last saw it, this popped up in my Status Window.

'Ruin Remnant...'

I ignored the floating red text to my right and kept walking. I had a ton of questions, but no time to check now. All that mattered was confirming the thing inside was dead.

—Kieeeek!

The zombie horde drawn by the massive fire came rushing in like a tidal wave. Easily dozens of times more than what I'd killed in the mart parking lot earlier. If we stayed here, we'd get swept up for sure.

"Let's move."

So we kept an eye out as we cautiously headed back to the Northdong Office. As expected, the return trip was empty.

===

We looped back through the northern walking path and returned to the Northdong Office. As always, we hopped the back fence, slipped in through the rear door, and headed up to Jeong Suhyun's room on the fourth floor.

"My eyes sting."

"Don't rub them. Better to rinse with running water."

Ashes must've gotten in his eyes—Jeong Suhyun was tearing up nonstop.

"Got it. Mind if I use the bathroom..?"

—Slide.

Jeong Suhyun headed to the bathroom. Probably to wash up.

—Slide.

I opened the window in Jeong Suhyun's room and stared at the black smoke rising in the distance.

'Won't reach this far, probably...'

The fire was bigger than expected. The flames had spread from the Rocket Mart to the shops below. But the office was about 500 meters away, and there was a construction site in between, so it shouldn't reach us.

'As long as it doesn't jump to the walking path.'

But that path was close to Happiness Villa. The only reason I could come and go from the office was that mountain trail. If the fire spread to the hills and sparked a wildfire, travel would get real tricky.

'...If this skill turns out good, maybe we bail. Otherwise...'

If not, the food and supplies at my place become even more crucial. With the mart totally gutted, preserved food would be harder to scavenge.

'Nothing for it then.'

I turned my head right, gazing toward the bustling intersection by the main gate where the flames weren't visible. Zombies still crawled all over it, but they hadn't reacted to the explosion or fire noise.

'Sigh...'

I sat on the sofa, staring at it, then clicked the red alert.

The same prompt as last time, urging me to pick a new path. I tapped through them one by one.

I rubbed my brow. The options were totally different from last time. When I picked Ashes Veil before, all the others vanished and got replaced.

'Last time it was Ice Storm, Inferno Spirit, and Subspace, right?'

Seems like picking one wipes the rest and refreshes the list. But this time, there were some real contenders.

'Stealth, Ice Shield, Fireball, Dark Blink...'

Top pick was still the Path of the Abyss. Teleportation? With mana up to 56, picking Dark Blink would let me safely add long-distance travel—my original goal of escaping Seoul.

But.

'That damn Abyss thing awakens or whatever last time.'

Too sketchy. The warning about the Abyss entity from my first choices waking up.

'...Shame.'

If it'd shown up before I knew better, I'd have taken it. Plus, 10 mana per use bugged me. Once an hour? Limits everything but travel. And 30m was an awkward range.

'Left with Stealth, Ice Shield, Fireball.'

I ditched the Abyss and eyed the others. Stealth from Path of Ashes was out first.

'5 seconds? What for?'

Too short, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even if invisible. Down to Path of Frost and Path of Inferno.

'Defense and offense again.'

Ice Shield from Frost: Summon a massive 3x3m shield.

'Mana 5 seems fair.'

Beyond blocking, I could probably summon it overhead and smash down—like with Ice Spear.

'Not bad.'

Upgrade to D-rank and it'd shrink mana cost or grow bigger—super useful.

'Fireball...'

Basically Ice Spear's twin. Matched the E-rank description exactly. With it, I could float both and alternate.

'Fire for cooking too. Lights, heat when power or water's out.'

Versatile beyond combat.

'Tough call.'

Last time, Ashes Veil beat everything but Subspace—Ice Storm was too niche. But now?

'Ice Shield's raw power is nuts, Fireball's utility everywhere.'

I pondered. But decided quick.

'Time to leave Northdong soon anyway.'

I passed on Fireball. 3x3m could block an alley. 5 mana to seal a path in danger? Worth it alone.

'Plus, offense potential.'

Like Ice Spear from above. Drop it from the sky for AoE.

Other options? Forgotten.

'Skill Point...'

I dumped the new point into Ice Spear. Ice Shield upgrades would just cut mana by 1, not size.

Ice Spear hit C-rank, description updated.

I opened my Status Window to check.

'Status Window.'

A lot had changed. Doubled mana and regen was nice, but Ice Spear at C-rank halved cost per shot to 0.5. And...

NO1. Collect Ruin Fragments. [1/10]

Sub quest ticked up. Plus the new alert.

[Seventh Ruin Fragment's Message available. View? [Y/N]]

What did it want, dragging me to the mart to kill whatever was inside?

'If I'd seen it, I'd know.'

Hiding a twinge of regret, I tapped Y.

The red text scattered like mart flames, reforming into unknown script that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shifted to familiar Hangul.

'What the hell.'

Protecting what now? What next?

'Ridiculous.'

Absurdity fading, I tapped the message again. Nothing. The red text left a [Message] tab in the Status Window and vanished, insisting that was it.