The Battle for Siren's Heart (4)
'Position Swap.'
As I activated the skill, the scene before my eyes shifted.
The ornate museum vanished, replaced by thick fog.
'Clone Summon.' I unsummoned Mark Three—who had moved outside in my place—and resummoned him. My alibi was now airtight.
'But damn, this is no joke.'
The moment Mark Three's body got trapped in the fog, my senses went haywire in an instant. Sounds I should have heard were gone. Things I should have seen were invisible. I couldn't even tell if I was walking or just standing still.
Dad's superpower was level 9. In Mark Three's body, mine was level 7—and I'd set it to Superpower Analyzer to avoid suspicion. So I'd figured I couldn't resist the fog's debuff. But that wasn't it.
Dad's power was straight-up broken.
My main body had four level 10 superpowers. Even with that, my senses weren't normal in the fog. Sure, better than in Mark Three's body, but still.
'What kind of level 9 power messes with a level 10 user like this?'
I clicked my tongue inwardly and crept forward cautiously.
"Whoa!"
"Wh-what the hell!"
Voices cried out from people I bumped into, but after three steps, even those faded into the fog. No wonder the heroes couldn't catch Dad or Mom. If it screwed with a level 10 user's senses like this, what chance did anyone else have? Let alone normals?
And how was I finding my way?
'Nice one, Yuna!'
It was all thanks to the water she'd scattered. The liquid from her superpower marked the path ahead.
Commanding Yuna was easy. I called her from the clone waiting outside. We'd locked in the direction via phone before the real party kicked off.
No one noticed me striding straight through the fog.
Sssrrrrk—!
"..."
"..."
Ah. Everyone except Dad, of course.
'Get lost.'
In the domain of High Fog, he could sense everything happening inside the mist.
He manipulated the fog to steer the heroes away from the Siren's Heart. False sensations tricked them into thinking they were standing still even as they moved.
'Good. Keep it up.'
At the same time, he parted the fog for Hazel Fox, clearing her path to the Siren's Heart.
'Only Tough Guy left.'
Now, the only one guarding the Siren's Heart was Tough Guy. As expected of an S-rank hero, his resistance was impressive. Even with his senses fooled, he held his ground.
'Do your thing, honey.'
High Fog cheered his wife on silently. They just needed one step. If Tough Guy moved even a single step from the Siren's Heart, he could make him wander lost like the rest.
And shoving him out? That was Hazel Fox's job.
High Fog opened a path behind Tough Guy for her. Soon, she'd meet him—
'?!'
High Fog's eyes bulged wide.
Another figure was heading straight for the Siren's Heart—besides his wife. And this one was walking through the fog. Senses distorted or not, they advanced in a dead-straight line.
'Impossible! How the hell did that bastard sneak in?!'
Recognizing the intruder, High Fog reeled in shock. It was none other than Steel Armor.
How had the guy from outside gotten here? A-rank heroes still guarded the perimeter. Had he plowed through them all?
'Without a sound?'
Details didn't matter now. His wife was en route to shove Tough Guy aside, but Steel Armor was barreling straight for the prize. They were about to lose the Siren's Heart.
'Not on my watch!'
High Fog instantly smothered the path he'd cleared for his wife in fog.
Hazel Fox froze, bewildered, scanning her surroundings as her senses warped.
'Honey?'
A new path appeared before her—pointing the opposite way from Tough Guy.
'...'
Confirming his wife retreating, High Fog materialized right in Steel Armor's path.
"..."
"..."
Steel Armor and High Fog faced off.
"What the hell is this? Fog?"
Left alone in a daze, Ji-na paled and whipped around.
Where was Mom? Oppa?
"Mom! Oppa! Where are you?! Answer me!"
She called desperately, but no one responded.
"...!"
A chill raced up Ji-na's spine. She'd shouted loud, but her own voice sounded tiny.
"Mom! Oppa! Mom!"
She stumbled forward blindly, calling out. Not a soul crossed her path.
The aquarium was packed with people eyeing the Siren's Heart. She should've bumped into someone by now.
But nothing. Not one.
"..."
Realizing it was pointless, Ji-na halted. She bit her lip.
Decision made, she awakened the power dormant inside her.
Saaaaaaaah—
A chilling aura poured from Ji-na. Her hair whipped wildly like in a gale, her body fading to transparency.
She rose into the air, soaring—no, phasing—through the fog.
Ji-na had used her superpower for the second time since arriving in Dark City.
The two men stared in silence.
Steel Armor spoke first.
"If you're not up for a staring contest, mind getting out of the way? Got something I need to grab."
"How much?"
"Hm?"
The sudden offer made me tilt my head.
"What do you mean?"
I knew exactly what Dad—no, High Fog—meant. But I played dumb on purpose.
"The price for the Siren's Heart. How much to make you walk away."
"Dunno. Not exactly hurting for cash, so no idea what it'd take."
"100 million dollars."
"..."
Whoa! He came out swinging.
"Not enough? Fine. 1 billion dollars."
"..."
Ugh! 1 billion? That's gotta be over a trillion won, right?
I'd known he was loaded, but this hammered it home.
Rich as fuck.
"Still short? Whatever—I'll take the heart anyway. Better pocket some cash than leave empty-handed, no? Final offer. 5 billion dollars."
"Hm! 5 billion... now that's tempting."
"Deal. 5 billion it is. Give me your account, and I'll wire it now..."
"But I'll pass."
"...What?"
My refusal hiked up Dad's eyebrow.
Five billion dollars. Over 5 trillion won. For ditching the Siren's Heart.
But I wasn't some spineless reed bending for cash.
Why was I stealing it in the first place? To show off to Elis, waiting desperately at home!
And the quest sealed it—I had to snag the damn thing.
Hell, part of me wanted to spit out my account and grab the money first. But I held back.
"Deaf? I'll repeat: I decline. So step aside?"
"...That choice."
"Hm?"
"You'll regret it."
"Sorry. Never regretted a thing."
I shrugged and reached for High Fog.
Pung!—
Just before contact, his body dissolved into fog and vanished.
No need to chase. My goal was solely the Siren's Heart.
Hell, he'd pop up again anyway.
I followed the arrow on the pooled water.
Wooooooong!—
"Hm?"
A ship horn echoed from deep in the fog.
Wait—sound carrying through the fog?
"Fuck?!"
Danger flared in my head.
No hesitation—I sidestepped.
A massive rebar-like spike slammed into my spot.
Thud!—
"What the actual fuck?!"
I gawked at the pillar impaling where I'd stood. Sturdy column... or giant insect leg?
Wooooooong!—
Again. Signal blared—I shifted another step.
Thud!—
Fresh spike beside me.
'Ah, shit.'
What I'd dreaded was happening.
I'd been wary of exactly two of Dad's skills and traits:
[Fog Veil (Active)]
and
[Unknown Monster]
He'd already used the first. That left one.
'Unknown Monster.'
A true enigma of a beast emerged from the fog's depths.
'Ignore it.'
I crouched low, scanning the floor for markers.
Whatever the monster hurled, I stuck to the path. Dodged midair spikes with a swat or a sidestep.
Straight ahead to the Siren's Heart. Finally, I laid eyes on it—up close.
"Hm?"
"Knew you were after the Siren's Heart. You goddamn villain scum."
"..."
"You lot..."
We formed a circle around the Siren's Heart: me, Tough Guy, High Fog, and some ghost-like woman I'd never seen.
Who the hell was she?