The Watching Eyes

The identity check was quick. "Identity verified. Welcome aboard."

"Thanks. Keep up the good work."

Containers several times longer and far larger than the camper van were hoisted by cranes and loaded onto the massive ship. For a moment I realized that my current self could sink a vessel this size without much effort, and a small laugh escaped me.

I drove the camper a little farther and parked it in a quiet corner of the deck. When I opened the door, I saw Dohwa bundled in a warm blanket, quietly reading a book. She looked up at me and smiled with her eyes.

"The sea! It's the sea!"

"That excited, huh?"

I took her small hand and we gazed out at the water together. The fact that she still remembered the ocean so clearly from when she was four told me just how much she loved it.

"Mmm~! Sea breeze!"

"Well, we're still at the port."

Even so, it was a wonderful stimulus for a child who'd been trapped in a hospital room for an entire month.

"But Oppa... why didn't any Awakened attack us on the way here?"

I felt a jolt of surprise. Those weren't words that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should come ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from a seven-year-old. But it made sense. Dohwa might be a child, yet she hadn't plugged her ears or covered her eyes.

"...Well, it's not like we're hauling around a truckload of chocolate. Attacking me would be a net loss for them."

Most opponents weren't a real threat. I was confident I could separate body from head in a single exchange. I might not lead in sheer power output, but when it came to combat, I stood at the very front of the nation's top tier.

And most importantly—

"Attacking me while I'm escorting emergency relief to Jeju Island would turn public opinion against them."

"What's public opinion?"

"Justification might be the better word."

"What's justification?"

...I'd used vocabulary that was still too advanced for Dohwa.

In any case, no large-scale battles had broken out between the government and the Awakened yet. In this turbulent era, after the military had been neutralized by particularly powerful monsters, the Awakened's influence had grown. Under the government's silent approval, some had begun to act like gangsters. In short, the authorities had handed urban security over to the Awakened. Which really meant the government had deprioritized those cities and simply dressed it up as "Awakened occupation."

I'd heard they'd even staged small, theatrical battles for appearances. Of course, since individuals could now output firepower on par with tanks or missiles, the narrative of government defeat had been easy to manufacture.

But what would happen if they attacked me here?

I would have to cut down anyone who came at me to protect Dohwa, and that would be stepping on the reverse scale of the guilds—especially the Gilded Jade. If I slaughtered every assassin sent after me, the Gilded Jade's combat strength and prestige would take a heavy hit. The government would then be unable to delay all-out war, even if it meant admitting their own incompetence. Before they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could even deal with Steel, they'd be forced to draw their blades, exhaust their forces in total war against every Awakened in the region, all while having nothing left in reserve.

None of this would have happened if those idiotic radicals hadn't moved first. They probably believed they'd seized the cities through their own power.

But the deed was done. The Awakened who'd been with them had become traitors by association. Still, to survive, they had no choice but to swallow their tears and maintain the current regime. If Steel were eliminated, the government would make examples of them and carry out thorough, merciless retaliation. They were sharpening their knives, determined to hang every radical's head in Gwanghwamun Square.

"I'll explain it slowly later."

RATATATATAT!!!

Gunfire erupted from the direction where I'd sensed a faint presence. Dohwa flinched hard at the sound. I pressed the cabin key into her hand.

"Dohwa, go inside the cabin and keep your head down. I'll be right back."

"Oppa, be careful."

Encouraged by Dohwa's words, I hurled a talisman toward the gunfire and leapt onto it in a single bound. Rather than feeling like an immortal sage, I mostly noticed how dangerously high and fast it was. I made a mental note to never let the kids try this.

While those thoughts crossed my mind, I took in the entire scene below at a glance: Awakened and soldiers scrambling into emergency positions, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a soldier collapsed from a gunshot, his comrades shielding him behind cover, and the lunatics firing wildly at the container they were using for shelter. Six enemies total—one injured, five still combat-ready. All of them armed with firearms.

Since the fight had broken out between containers, they only needed to watch their front and rear, yet they weren't even guarding their backs. Their faces were flushed with so much adrenaline it looked like they might burst.

A diversion? Or maybe they were sacrificial pawns.

I stepped off the soaring talisman and dropped into free fall, grabbing two more slips of paper. There was no need to imbue them with a full spell. Just channel my energy and throw.

CRAAAASH!

Giant walls of ice erupted in front of and behind the outlaws.

"Fuck—shit!"

"This wasn't the plan! They're too fast!"

Clearly something had gone wrong on their end. For me, it was excellent news. I landed in front of the soldiers.

"Awakened, sir! This man was shot—"

"I can see that. You—tear his clothes open so I can see the wound. And you, if you're conscious, look up and tell me how many fingers I'm holding."

While examining the soldier's injury, I held two fingers in front of his eyes.

"Two... ugh! Two, sir."

Thankfully he was still conscious. Because I'd arrived quickly, the bleeding wasn't catastrophic yet, but—

"...Isn't that the liver?!"

Correction. This soldier was already dead. Of all places, the bullet had pierced his liver. Gunshots didn't create clean holes; the round tumbled through the body, tearing tissue apart. The pain was bad enough, but the real issue was catastrophic bleeding. How well you could staunch it determined survival. And the liver was one organ you must never get hit in. It couldn't relax its muscle tissue, which meant hemostasis was almost useless.

I'd already watched three people die exactly like this, so I knew.

I had to save him. The golden hour hadn't passed yet, and I was here.

"The bullet went through. You! What's your blood type? Hurry!"

"AB, sir!"

"This guy..."

"..."

The soldier shut his mouth. No matter how close they were, he couldn't remember his comrade's blood type. To make things worse, the wounded man's consciousness was beginning to fade.

I frantically searched his neck and pockets. Luckily, one of them yielded a dog tag. Blood type...

"AB. Jackpot! You—if you want to save your friend, roll up your sleeve. We're going to need some of your blood."

"Those bastards... take as much as you need!"

The soldier hesitated for a split second between loyalty to his comrade and the enemy before immediately offering his arm.

I wasn't confident in my healing, but it had to be done. I poured energy into a talisman, rolled it into a sharp point like an awl, and drove it into the man's forearm. He grunted but endured it well. The paper drank the blood and turned crimson.

I yanked the talisman free and began the incantation.

"Hasty Messenger."

Crackle!

"Tsk!"

I was still clumsy with this part. The spell misfired, and the talisman burned up in a shower of sparks.

I had to do it right.

"Again."

I stabbed the talisman into his forearm once more and let it drink. This time I wouldn't fail. No shortcuts. I would unfold the entire spell.

The blood-soaked talisman ignited. Its embers sank into the gunshot wound and, as if reversing the very process that had created the injury, the damage began to heal.

"Whew..."

I let out a long breath. This was one of the few recovery techniques I possessed, and it ranked among the least efficient.

"Over there!"

Awakened and soldiers who'd heard the gunfire or the radio calls began converging. Cold gun barrels spat bullets and flame, killing the enemy. It was self-defense, but it was still murder, so I turned my head away. I couldn't allow myself to grow used to this. Since I had to survive and raise Dohwa, I needed to leave this blood-soaked life behind as quickly as possible.

Yet even after I looked away, an oddly unpleasant gaze prickled at me. I raised my head again.

"...Is it there?"

"Sir?"

"Never mind. All right, let's tear down the ice wall and arrest those bastards."

I deliberately shifted my gaze from the spot where that faint energy had lingered, lifted the injured soldier onto my back, and left to find what passed for a medical station.

"Did they spot us?"

"About halfway. They were staring straight toward where I was standing. If I hadn't pulled back, they definitely would've noticed."

"Did they identify you?"

"No, that's fine. They only know someone was watching."

In an empty café not far from the harbor, a man dressed as a knight and another as a thief exchanged words. Around them gathered people wearing fantasy-class gear: a mage, a nun, and an archer. It was a surreal sight—a perfectly balanced five-person adventure party straight out of a game.

"Then we're good. No evidence, no problem. More importantly, you think that woman really is the Frost?"

"I'm not too familiar with talisman skills, but I saw her heal a gunshot wound. What was it again? Un... Un..."

"Unjust Blood Transfusion. It's an advanced recovery skill. Talismans aren't supposed to be able to pull that off, but she did it in reality. So yeah, that woman has to be the Frost."

At the knight's firm declaration, the group began to murmur.

"A monster who runs a talisman build but also excels at close combat? You think she'll just leave us alone? We should strike first, like I said—"

"No. If she's an ally, we don't have anyone with that kind of power. You remember the specs of East Server users, right?"

The Awakened still weren't fully accustomed to their own strength. Add a spec gap on top of that, and they could easily lose.

"Well, it's not like we don't have options."

The man who appeared to be the mage unfolded a sheet of paper.

"We negotiate."