Seoul's Dome (2)
Dome Head was a massive mole monster armored in iron plating. Right at the start of the catastrophe, it had burst inexplicably through the floor of the National Assembly building, laying waste to the place and turning it into its nest. It hadn't shown any activity since, so the Korean government had stationed troops around it to avoid provoking the beast, strictly controlling access to the area. There was even a running joke that the government could maintain its current level of power only because Dome Head had massacred all those stubborn old politicians.
I flew toward the National Assembly with Han Byeol, both of us piloting drones. Han Seol sat and watched the drone feeds on the monitor.
"But... is Yoo Gyu-seong really that strong?"
"I've only heard rumors, but they say he might be the strongest Awakener ever. The government treats him like humanity's last hope."
"He hasn't fought Im Jui yet."
As we headed to the National Assembly, we chatted about Yoo Gyu-seong of the 1st Special Awakener Division. He was a 29-year-old man who'd always been strong, but not without peers—until suddenly, he became ridiculously powerful. I'd already heard from Na Hye-won that after she amplified him with her ability, his strength had skyrocketed far beyond other Awakeners. Once his permanent enhancement settled in, he was basically treated as the government's ultimate weapon.
The word "strongest" grated on me a bit, so I asked Na Hye-won who would win if he fought Im Jui. She laughed and said she didn't know much about fighting.
"If he's that strong, why not take down Dome Head?"
I had my own confidence, which was why I was heading out to provoke it. Both Han Seol and Han Byeol figured that if the government threw everything they had at it, they could take down something like Dome Head—even if it cost them casualties. That made it all the more infuriating. They had a named monster right in their own backyard, but they picked Gangbuk as the 1st Special Awakener Division's first test run out of fear they'd lose and suffer heavy losses.
"Here's my philosophy: people only give their all when they're backed into a corner. They need that terror of knowing one wrong step means total ruin."
"Pardon?"
"I bet if they'd fought Silver Foam, they'd have retreated midway. No real loss if they run, so they wouldn't have the right mindset from the start."
"That's convincing."
"Right? So I'll set it up where running means everything's over. Real combat."
Han Byeol laughed heartily in agreement, while Han Seol just gave a small smile. Midway through our flight and chit-chat, the National Assembly came into view. Barbed wire ringed the area, soldiers with rifles standing guard to control access.
"Time to test the Bombardment Drone's power."
Each Bombardment Drone could unleash one bombardment every 24 hours. It couldn't distinguish friend from foe, but you could adjust the blast radius. From the drone's view, it showed as a red translucent circle. At max range, one drone could cover half the National Assembly. Shrink it down, and it went as small as a 1-meter diameter.
Seemed pointless to shrink it at first glance, but there was an upside: the narrower the radius, the stronger the blast. Wide for crowds or buildings, narrow for a few tough foes. We knew something was dropping from the sky, but I'd have to see exactly how it worked.
"Let's collapse that dome first."
Once a symbol of power and the heart of the legislature, it was now a gloomy monster den. I aimed at max range for the dome. A red laser shot from the drone, pinning the center.
"Byeol, you see that laser?"
"No! I don't."
"Perfect for assassinations."
The laser was visible only to my view. I took a breath.
"Bombard."
The drone's mechanical whine grew louder.
"Ah... not instant."
Unlike the blue drone's dissolving liquid, it wasn't fire-and-forget. The charge-up made it trickier—best for surprise attacks when enemies weren't watching, like now, or to pin them down. Hitting the National Assembly from a chair at midnight was cheat-level anyway, but I was a little disappointed.
"The sound stopped."
Han Byeol shouted as the drone's whine cut off.
"Something's falling from the sky!"
"Huh?"
Raising the drone's view, I saw hundreds of red spheres raining down through the clouds onto the dome.
"Not fired from the drone itself..."
Where did they come from? The moment they hit, my minor disappointment melted away.
BOOM!
KABOOM!
Each sphere detonated on impact with a thunderous roar. Smoke and flames erupted like a missile strike, the dome ceiling collapsing outright.
"Whoa..."
"Oh my..."
The shockwave shook the ground. Panicked guards hit alarm sirens seconds later.
"That power justifies the cooldown."
I could see why. Now I wondered how strong it'd be narrowed down. The dark building blazed like a bonfire, black smoke pouring from the dome hole, sirens blaring louder.
"Master, pull back?"
"Nah, let's watch for the 1st Special Awakener Division and Dome Head, then bail. They're too busy scanning the sky to notice us."
They'd think Dome Head had awakened again. After that blast, it should've emerged... or was it even still there?
Han Seol answered. "Yes. Intel says four months ago, eight Awakeners sneaked in; seven died, one escaped and got captured. The survivor testified to seeing Dome Head."
Han Seol had her hands on my shoulders while I sat with eyes closed. She was too focused on the monitor to notice.
"They crawled in there? Why? Insane?"
"Yes, insane. There's a cult in Gangnam called the Mu Wol Church. Their followers did it."
"Ugh... another cult? Park Tae-woo looks normal now. What's their doctrine to make them do that?"
"Well..."
"Yeah?"
"Do-hyun?"
"Ah, nothing. Go on."
Now her left arm was around my neck, right hand stroking my hair. The twins did this sometimes—when hyper-focused, they treated whoever was in front as their sister. No reason to refuse skinship from beauties I couldn't have approached before.
"Not sure on details, but Mu Wol Church sees monsters as apostles sent by God. Rumor has it their leader tames them."
"Total lunatics. What happened to the captured one? No purge for a psycho group like that?"
"Confessed, then hanged after trial. The church is so decentralized, hard to crack down."
Every cult story in Seoul boosted my opinion of Park Tae-woo. Compared to these nutjobs, he was just a regular guy who liked women.
"Do-hyun, they're here!"
"Yeah, must be the 1st Special Awakener Division. No guns—just axes and swords."
About 30 minutes post-blast, military trucks rolled up, troops pouring out.
"Master! The guy up front is Yoo Gyu-seong!"
"Can't see his face. How do you know?"
"He always carries two silver-shell swords on his back."
The lead soldier had two swords crossed on his back. Han Seol twirled my hair with a dissatisfied tone.
"All style, no substance. Back-carrying long swords is so inefficient..."
Unless you're short like Im Jui and they'd drag, no point. Then the ground around the half-ruined building trembled.
"The earth's shaking!"
"Oh... was gonna fire another if it didn't show, but here it comes."
THUD!
Dome Head finally burst through the asphalt. A huge mole in iron armor, as rumored. Oddly, with super-long claws and standing upright on two legs.
"Too far to see up close."
Furious, it trembled, black fur smoking. Probably woken from sleep by the blast. Yoo Gyu-seong unslung his suspenders and drew both swords.
"Those are silver-shell blades."
They gleamed silver even at night.
"He's pissed. Waist carry would've let him draw without that."
"Right? Pure flash..."
I'd heard rumors about Han Seol.
"But didn't you ask a craftsman about engraving patterns on a scabbard?"
She tightened her arm around my neck. "Th-that was just asking! And without your permission, how could I?!"
"Choking..."
"Ah, sorry! You okay?"
She finally noticed and released me. Han Byeol yelled.
"Focus! Fight's on!"
"Whoa!"
Yoo Gyu-seong leaped into the air boldly, dodged Dome Head's attack, and mounted its back.
"Got the skills to match the hype."
We watched the government versus Dome Head showdown like spectators at a fight match.