Tombs Rising from the Streets
Tombs and graves began surfacing naturally between the roadsides and buildings, as if floating up from beneath the surface—like some newbies' circus act.
The undead gate's erosion had infested the heart of the city with an intensely eerie atmosphere.
"Whoa... I knew it'd be something like this, but... damn, it's really gone this far...?"
"..."
Unlike me, who let out a disbelieving chuckle while stroking my chin, Lee Tae-gun stayed silent.
He probably couldn't process this the same way I could—someone with the skills and power to handle myself anytime, anywhere.
"...What're you gonna do now?"
"What else? We built the house and gathered folks early just in case shit like this made the area unstable. We'll watch and see how it plays out."
"Fuck..."
As he scratched his head, fretting over the future, I glanced down at the street below. The people down there stood in stark contrast to us, their vibe impossible to ignore.
The raid teams, who should've just cleared the gate and were now stumbling out, stared blankly around the road where reality and the gate's scenery overlapped. Civilians raised their voices in response.
Normally, after a gate clear, you'd install stabilizers and start extracting resources. But here, with no such measures, they ignored the grim future unfolding right in front of them. Instead, they fixated on satisfying their curiosity—finally experiencing the inside of a gate they'd only watched from afar, unable to awaken themselves. I couldn't help snorting in disdain at their antics.
The sane response would be to worry about why this was happening and what came next, then get the hell out.
This world's gone pretty fucking nuts too, huh. Heh heh.
For civilians, gate incidents felt like ancient history—generations had passed. Even massive countries like China or the US only had a handful of S-rank hunters, with plans for maybe three each. Their security gaps were practically inevitable, weren't they?
I shook my head at the occasional "normal" folks fondling or hugging the sprouting graves and tombstones, then slowly slipped away from the scene.
What they were doing was predictable: simple actions born from hoping close gate contact might awaken them.
The mana density in the air had spiked right after the erosion started, so it wasn't impossible. Too early to outright call them idiots and shut my mouth on it...
Either way, for non-awakeners, it's a jackpot chance to flip their lives. Maybe think of it as five minutes to chaos?
These folks hustling to see the "newbie event" were testing and experiencing it firsthand. But what if the jobless losers watching on their phones from bed piled into the streets too?
As I turned to leave, buildings trembled faintly—not an earthquake—and the growing chorus of voices hit me. A thought flashed: humans were the least understandable, most entertaining species.
The envy of the have-nots... or just raw desire? Either way, if awakenings spike after this shitshow, the Academy's gonna be a mess.
Feeling like becoming principal's successor was a raw deal, we wove through the frenzied crowd and slipped away.
+++
"Hmm... Looks about done."
"Doesn't the whole thing need to change color?"
"Probably? It's decolorized from the head down to about the waist now. Once the entire Buddha statue's bleached, I guess that's completion."
My classmates popping in and out meant I couldn't grope Park Jisu freely, and she was grumpy from pent-up frustration and missing time with her sisters. The twins had dragged the classmates off by the collar, finally granting us peace.
Park Jisu, curled into a tight ball in my arms, peeked over and poked the diligently transferring Buddha statue with her finger.
"...We'll get to see everyone soon?"
Her body nuzzled expectantly against mine, but her words dripped with prickly jealousy and worry.
I'd always soothed her that she was number one, but human hearts are fickle reeds, swaying every which way, right?
Her cute countdown to an anxious future made me tighten my arms around her instinctively.
"Hee hee."
"It's fine. Sigh... I dunno if they acted all perfect in front of me to impress, but they're not prickly types, so don't worry too much."
"R...really?"
"Yeah. If shit goes sideways, just show off that one thing you're killer at—once—and they'll fall in line."
"L...like a handjob?"
"Cut the bullshit. How the hell'd you hide that pervert personality all this time? Your brain's nothing but cock and pussy, huh? And fuck, it's not even that you're great at handjobs—it's Big Hand that's the beast... damn right."
She lifted her head to glare at my mock-scolding, then grumbled right by my ear.
Her muttering—about cock size meaning everything, how handsome I was so she'd cave—cracked me up. I rested my chin on her round head and continued.
"What about your sisters?"
"Hmph... Probably done moving yesterday and unpacking now?"
Holding her close, her sweet skin and hair scent teased my nose, melting my tension with a cozy smile.
"Hng, hnng."
She'd never not reacted to me embracing her, but now, pressed tight, she sensed the heavy weight stirring against her back. Her pout vanished as she huffed through her nose.
She'd totally forgotten her sisters had moved nearby—absurd. I shook my head.
"No getting horny in broad daylight, you freak. Remember giving them the house passcode?"
"Oh...!"
"They grilled me on every detail, grinning like idiots about the place. Even if it sucks, wait till evening."
"..."
My cock rock-hard and grinding her back for my own fun drew her glare—eyes burning with silent protest.
Her quirky, puberty-level lust was obvious; I knew what she wanted. I soothed her shoulder gently, signaling calm.
"Don't even think about changing the passcode to fuck in secret."
"...Sharp bastard."
"No prob."
"Hmph."
"Anyway, your sisters' awakenings okay?"
"Yeah, just 1st Awakening chicks—total newbies. Think back to our freshman year; no training means no obvious changes yet."
"True..."
I nodded over her head, worried. She casually stroked my cock over my pants with expert twists, brushing it off like no big deal.
Her trusted classmates were nearby, plus the principal's cash had upgraded the facilities. She figured she'd handle it.
Damn... Didn't expect the awakening boom.
During the gate erosion, mana density spiked then plateaued—no drop-off after. Ongoing erosion led to a surge like the Great Change: way more 1st Awakeners.
Unknown if they'd hit 2nd like us, but humanity leveled up overall. A festival vibe erupted, but the unawakened lagged, sparking social rifts.
Venturing out meant spotting awakeners vs. normals—shoulder-checks and provocations to mess with the "losers." Fresh as hell from my jaded view.
Good our statues awakened too... If they hadn't and got jumped... fuck.
Dead outsiders didn't matter—my people did. Their awakenings saved hassle and eased Park Jisu's worries; I was just relieved.