Narrow Perspective
Two layers of veils enveloped my body. The Ashes Veil had vanished.
"Aaaagh!"
—Boom!
A rifle tumbled across the floor, losing its shape.
"Ice Spear."
—Crash! Clang! Thud!
Something much larger rolled across the ground.
—Whooosh!
The Ice Spear missed, but the falling man couldn't dodge my pickaxe.
—Crack!
"Guhk!"
The pickaxe slammed straight into the man's collarbone. He clutched it as he collapsed again while trying to stand.
A reserve soldier uniform. Thirties? No, maybe twenties. Weapon: rifle. And his ability...
"Ste...!"
—Crack!
Stealth.
"Kaaaaagh!"
I raised my arm again, staring at the man screaming as he gripped his shattered collarbone and his leg twisted unnaturally.
—Splat! Thud!
"!!!!!!"
The pickaxe buried into his abdomen again. He groaned in agony, silenced even from his noisy screams.
"!!!!!"
—Splat!
But I didn't even want to hear that. I stomped his face with my shoe, and the sounds faded.
Only then did I exhale.
Stealth, huh.
I remembered seeing Stealth as an option once when choosing skills. It lasted 5 seconds, but the mana cost was too high, so I picked something else.
'That's why others didn't think Stealth was good, even if they had it.'
But what I'd overlooked was that their status windows weren't like mine.
My magic leaned heavily toward attacks and utility to support attacks. Even if other skills appeared, they were similar—never food summons or surveillance.
So my thinking got narrow.
I was human too, so I assumed everyone else's abilities were inferior versions of mine. Maybe I was even drunk on my own power and status.
'But no.'
This stealth ability was beyond imagination. Undetectable without detection skills—perfect for this ruined world.
And.
—Crack!
"!!!!!!"
Perfect for raiders.
Pretending to be cool-headed and smart, and I missed this.
I was sure now how it all went down. My reconstruction:
One Liberation Army guy with stealth. He'd been around Northdong Station, stealthed, when I met Lee Euna, Kim Gapsu, and Choi Youngchul.
'And he overheard us.'
Normally, contact would've been impossible. Park Donghyuk, Lee Euna, and the deputy chief's skills would've detected him. Plus, with Lee Euna's barriers up, no one would've let a stealthed intruder in during night watch. They were isolationists, doors always shut.
But.
'Kim Gapsu and Choi Youngchul let me in.'
Lee Euna's ability dropped twice: when I entered, and when Kim Jungshik and I left.
High chance this guy slipped in with me on the first one.
'Normally, he'd cause chaos right then.'
But something odd: Park Donghyuk and the deputy didn't detect him—actually, they detected me.
'Park said he only detected one.'
It was this guy, not me. Everything got crossed up. The weird situation felt natural.
'And I dragged out Kim Jungshik's group, including the deputy as Park's backup.'
No problem for him then. Just take out Park and Lee Euna—mostly her—and the rest was easy.
That's why Lee Euna died fast from a gunshot, unlike the other young women. Beautiful, young, dangerous ability.
Kill her, and the camp—full of kids, elders, women—was easy prey.
Idiot.
—Crack!
I slammed the pickaxe into his gut again.
Ridiculous mistake. Ridiculous coincidence. Something that should've never happened.
But it did, and everyone at Northdong Station died.
—Crack!
"Grrrk!"
Repeated gut strikes, and bloody froth bubbled up.
—Hack! A clot spewed from his mouth.
'Might not be it.'
Just my guess. He could've scouted multiple times. Or used other abilities unrelated to me for the massacre. No way one guy with a gun kills over twenty alone; the residential bodies suggested a group.
But.
I couldn't shake the guilt that my blind spot caused this. High chance I was involved in their deaths.
'No idea when he started tailing me.'
"Hoo..."
A natural sigh escaped.
—Click.
That moment. A strange noise. Small enough to mistake for something natural.
"Ice Spear."
—Click.
But I wouldn't fall for it twice.
—Rat-tat-tat! Boom!
Noise rang out simultaneously. And.
—Splat! Something dull burst.
Nothing visible at the door.
But the Ice Spear proved it hit a person.
Soon.
—Splurt!
Blood sprayed from empty air. Flesh and gore scattered inside the room.
—Click. Thud.
There: a reserve uniform corpse, stealth broken, upper body gone, collapsing.
'......'
Lee Euna's room made it feel even dirtier. Young policewoman. Her journal stirred more guilt.
"Grrrk."
Then, the guy below I'd pummeled groaned.
His eyes full of questions. Like "how" etched on his face.
But no explanations from me.
—Crack!
"!!!!!"
I smashed both ankles. He'd never walk again. Not that his life lasted long.
"....Talk.."
Now just twitching. Gut, collarbone, legs, ankles—his life hung by a thread.
"Talk.. please.."
Terror in his eyes. Frothy mouth mumbling something.
—Crack!
"Taaaalk!"
Teeth scattered, blood poured.
—Crack!
One more, silence. Weird he was still alive. I'd always obliterated humans with Ice Spears, zombies with shields—didn't know how tough people were.
Teeth gone, froth, broken body twitching—he lived.
I sat watching, shitty feeling amplified after near-death.
—Drip.
Left arm burned. Shirt torn. Bullet grazed the flesh.
Remaining Time: 57:21
Quick reaction, though. Firing Ice Spear on sound alone—commendable.
But.
—Crack!
Almost dying to trash like this pissed me off.
Grateful, too. Learned Ashes Veil's cooldown was an hour. Something I'd rather never know.
—Crack! Thud!
"......"
Now silently convulsing. Watching eased the stress a bit.
'......'
—Creak. Click.
...Too heated. I snapped out, shut the door.
Another stealth user meant possible enemies outside.
—Click.
I dragged a blood-soaked chair, sat, pulled the upper-body-less corpse, checked his stuff.
'M16 rifle. Two mags. Canteen, belt.'
Standard reserve gear, minus helmet, plus live ammo.
—Tok.
"......"
Twitch.
"......"
Aimed Ice Spear at the twitching man's head, rummaged corpse pockets.
Couldn't check upper, but rest yes.
Found a small walkie-talkie in right pocket.
Even comms.
Walkie range: basement 3 floors, 1-2km. Northdong not that deep—plenty.
'How'd he use it to get in?'
Rifled the prone body. Same stuff, another walkie.
No battery? Wouldn't turn on.
Knew button powers it—odd.
Broken? Wait.
No.
One stealth guy tailed me in. But if not solo massacre, how'd multiple Liberation Army enter?
Perfectly timed after Park slept, Lee Euna dead?
My hunch spot-on, ghostly.
If stealth user, maybe comms ability. High chance.
Walkies possible, but with status windows, animal/radar surveillance—walkies alone dumb. Noisy too, in a camp of 30+.
Sigh.
Anyway, got intel: they communicate.
Looked down.
"...Grk..."
Man twitching, groaning in pain. Tried standing, but internal/leg wounds too bad.
'Doesn't wanna die, huh.'
They slaughter freely, yet cling to life.
Victims forget, maybe normal for them.
I pondered him.
Obviously, take him for interrogation or do it here for Southdong/Liberation Army info.
But.
'......'
Seeing his face now, I'd kill him. Ruined my plans. Killed my friendly contacts. Liberation Army—Jeong Suhyun's foes, endless names.
Sick of North Sea, Northdong Liberation Army, whatever.
Touch him here, dead for sure.
Thought coldly. Two options.
One: Our Love Church, heal with Kim Yunjin's skill, hand to Jeong Suhyun for intel, then wipe them.
Two: Kill now, head south, slaughter Liberation Army.
What to do.
—Tok.
I tapped the pickaxe on the floor, lost in thought.