Dragon's Ascendance
Ta-ang! Ta-ang! Ta-ang!
Hye-ji's marksmanship practice went on for hours. The rest of the crew watched her calmly, some of them attending to other work in the meantime. Won-goo, however, kept his attention fixed on the panting Jeon Hye-ji.
A lesson that had started without warning, and she had been taking it for well over three hours now without a single break. First she'd fired from a standing stance; later on, she was learning to shoot from every posture imaginable.
"Quick learner. Natural talent? Or did she put her ability points into that line?"
Mu Beob-sa sidled up beside him and handed over a beer. "You know that in a world where firearms have all but vanished, investing in shooting abilities gets you laughed at, right? Barely anyone even carries a gun anymore..."
"True enough. But she shoots far too well, wouldn't you say?"
At that, Won-goo snorted. He stepped closer to the mage and lowered his voice to a whisper.
"The gun's got a buff on it."
"Oh. So that's all it was."
"You think I'd hand her just any gun? Keep it to yourself. Confidence matters more than anything."
The mage nodded along. "Fair... perception does become talent now and then, as it were. But are we really fine burning through rounds like this? You told me every last one is money."
"It's still cheaper than buying her a marksmanship ability. Besides, we can manufacture ammo now."
"Manufacture ammo?"
"What do you think all that money I've been funneling to Sapiens was for?"
"Ah... that was for ammunition? But you need gunpowder for bullets. Where would you even get—"
"Not that kind of ammo. Think about the Trailer."
"Director Gong truly does have a plan for everything, as it were."
Pfft. Won-goo grinned at his admiration.
"If you behaved just a little more like a gentleman, you'd actually be worshipped around here. The way you carry on is—"
Won-goo fired back instantly.
"Wouldn't it be lovely if you old-timers just talked pretty."
"You said this was your charm, didn't you?"
"Hell no! You planning to date me or something? Ugh... you should thank your lucky stars you were born in an era when I still had morals drilled into me."
The mage laughed until the wrinkles bunched up on his face. "Even jokes like this are what keep a man alive. Otherwise, how would anyone endure this godforsaken world? It'd be too dull to bother."
"You live for the fun of it? You live because you're alive."
"You'll live long, Director Gong."
"So will you. And longevity's a blurry goal anyway. Mine's surviving all the way to the end."
"And when is the end?"
"The end is the end."
"Right then. Live long and prosper, Director Gong. You look halfway there already — pleasant to behold, as it were."
"Stop cursing me sideways. With a heart like yours, you'll age fast yourself."
"Hell no! That's just what a lifetime of hardship looks like."
"Sure, sure. Go have more of it. Jeon Hye-ji!"
The gunfire cut off at once.
"That's enough. That much will serve you when it counts."
"Yes..."
Hye-ji caught her breath.
"I need to raise my stamina more," she said once her breathing had settled.
"You already put points into stamina. That's plenty for now."
"Still... it feels sorely lacking. I had no idea this level would be so exhausting."
"That's because your base stamina was weak to begin with."
"Even so..."
She wasn't entirely without a rebuttal. But she swallowed it. Won-goo deduced the unspoken words on the spot.
"Don't fool yourself into thinking a little travel fixed your stamina. Under tension, the human body burns through it far faster. Identical situations can wear on you completely differently depending on your mental state. And did you really think points spent at the Coin Exchange turn into power the moment you walk away?"
"Don't they?"
"There's some strengthening, sure. But call it twenty to thirty percent at best."
"Then what am I supposed to..."
"Adapt. Don't get it twisted. What you buy at the Coin Exchange does nothing but raise the ceiling of what your species can reach."
"Ceiling?"
"Let me put it simply. Do you know the world record for the hundred-meter dash?"
"Nine seconds?"
"Good. You don't need the exact number — just nine. That's probably where the human limit ends. The nine-second barrier. No amount of effort will take you below it. But coins make it possible. They let a sprinter stuck in the nine-second range, through sheer effort, break into the eights. That's what a coin is."
"So I need effort to truly make it mine."
"Exactly. That's why a single point in stamina is enough."
"I see."
"Humans are a sturdier species than you'd think, stamina-wise. So there's no need to overinvest. Push yourself to your limits enough times, and it grows on its own."
The word limit distilled everything of the hardship now waiting ahead of Jeon Hye-ji.
"Let's head back to the shelter. I need to deposit this first." It was a bag packed solid with coins.
"Ttugi. How much is in there?"
"Seventeen gold coins and five hundred seventy-seven silver, Hyeong-nim."
Won-goo gave a small nod, and Lee Hyun-sung passed the bag over to Hye-ji.
"Count it carefully. Build yourself a storage at the shelter and keep it there. The contract says you get three."
"But couldn't you just..."
"Just what?"
"You're a man who honors every line of a contract, Director. Couldn't you simply hold onto it for me?"
Hye-ji said it knowing there'd be no harm in it. Whatever else could be said of him, Gong Won-goo kept every clause of a contract to the letter. That was the last principle he had left.
"No. That money is yours. In a world where everything vanishes without a trace, there's nothing left worth trusting. So it's right that you manage it yourself."
"......"
"It's your father's legacy, too. So you manage it."
"Yes."
"Director!"
Geum Chul-soo came hurrying over, his face tight with urgency.
"What is it? You sense something?"
"Something strong is approaching. I judge we should move out of the area at once."
"Strong? If it's rain, we can eat a few hits. We need to top off our water anyway — buying it at the shelter costs coin."
"That's not what I—"
"Speak plainly. What is it?"
"It appears to be a Waterspout."
"A Waterspout? You're sure? A typhoon, a Waterspout — or one of those tornado things?"
"Of those, a Waterspout."
At that single word, Won-goo's expression hardened. The mage's face went equally grim.
"What's wrong, Hyeong-nim?" Lee Hyun-sung picked up on the strange shift in the air and hurried over.
"It's nothing. Chul-soo. Our Geum Chul-soo."
"Yes."
"You're certain?"
"Certain about what?"
"What do you mean, 'about what'? Get your head in the game. What was I just asking you?"
"Ah... the probability of a Waterspout seems high."
"Your gut is telling you that?"
"Yes. The image of a Waterspout simply appeared in my head. Although..."
"I know. That instinct of yours misses now and then. But most of the time it's right, isn't it?"
"It is."
A new world had opened, and its weather shifted by the minute — fast and violent enough that no one could dismiss it as mere caprice. And among all those phenomena, the Waterspout ranked among the warnings a survivor could least afford to ignore.
"A Waterspout's coming! Everyone, drop what you're doing and get inside!"
At Won-goo's shout, the whole crew moved without hesitation.
"Aren't we departing?" Geum Chul-soo asked, staring at him blankly. Being told to get inside the Trailer meant they intended to ride it out, not flee the area.
It was true that the strange Trailer held more space than its exterior suggested. But not enough for the entire crew to live in comfort. There were sleeping spots laid out for each of them, and that was precisely all they were — places to sleep. Nowhere near comfortable enough to stay holed up in for long.
"I said it's a Waterspout. So no, we're not driving out."
"But—?! A Waterspout! If we don't get clear of one fast, we die!"
Geum Chul-soo nearly jumped out of his skin. Jeon Hye-ji's reaction was much the same.
"Waterspouts are dangerous, true. But Director Gong, you see, is a man who waits for Waterspouts, as it were."
The mage's explanation left Geum Chul-soo utterly lost.
"In this day and age, a Waterspout is more dangerous than a typhoon! A Waterspout!"
That much was undeniable. Waterspouts appeared in forms even more violent than those of the old world, devouring everything in their path. It was hardly unusual for countless spouts to rise simultaneously like some act of sorcery and scour an entire region clean.
Caught in one of those calamities in the present day, there was exactly one way to survive: escape before you died. Survivors knew all too well that anyone properly swept up wouldn't leave so much as a shard of bone behind.
"I'd wager Director Gong means to confirm whether it truly is a Waterspout, as it were. He's hoping the real thing comes. You're all about to see something interesting."
"Could it be... some sort of achievement or...?"
Jo Mu-sa was the one who asked.
"Now that I think of it, you two have never seen it either, have you? Jo Mu-sa, Suwon?"
"S-seen wh-what?"
"Our head's true ability."
The mage said it with a smile, and curiosity rippled through the group. Until now, they had all assumed Won-goo's gift was the operation of the Subspace Trailer.
That was precisely what was carrying them right now — a Trailer whose interior was many times larger than its outer shell. Properly locked down, it shrugged off attacks from low-tier monsters like Bloodfans without breaking a sweat. So naturally, everyone had taken it for his ability.
"Isn't the Trailer your gift, Director?"
"That's just a side benefit, that. The real ability is something else entirely. Just trust it. Have any of you ever seen Director Gong do something reckless?"
Before the mage could even finish, the trees around them began tearing loose from the ground one by one.
A ferocious wind. Even so, they couldn't be certain yet. Waterspouts and typhoons were fundamentally different beasts — and what they were waiting for was a Waterspout.
"Is this really going to be okay? We can hold out through it... right?"
Now even Jeon Hye-ji had started to panic. Suwon and Jo Mu-sa wore strained expressions but stayed quiet.
Rumble.
Before long, the Trailer began to heave.
And this wasn't mere jostling — whether the Trailer was rising into the air or being shoved sideways by the wind made all the difference in the world. The windows offered no view at all. Then came an eerie howl, as though they'd plunged into the belly of a cave.
Finally, as if gravity itself had abandoned them, the Trailer simply floated — and it shot skyward like a roller coaster cresting its first climb. Hye-ji let out a scream before she could stop herself.
"Keep your eyes closed. It'll settle down soon enough. Hyeong-nim will make sure of it."
Lee Hyun-sung said, handing her an eye mask.
"Director Gong! It's a Waterspout!"
"Confirmed!"
Won-goo shouted back from the driver's seat. By then, the Trailer had already surged more than a hundred meters into the air.
This was exactly why Waterspouts were classified as deadlier than any other disaster. They hurled you skyward at a vicious speed — and dropped you just as fast.
From a survivor's point of view, it was the experience of boarding a colossal roller coaster. Naturally, without a shred of safety equipment.
A coaster that climbed thousands of meters in a blink, then plunged without warning. Even the most battle-hardened survivor had no business enduring it.
"Please—!"
"Told you to close your eyes. If Hyeong-nim says it's fine, then it's fine."
Lee Hyun-sung covered Hye-ji's eyes with a hand the size of a pot lid.
FAAASH!
A sound like a colossal flash detonating, and then her ears went deaf.
"Student! Studeeent? You can't sleep here! Up you get. Back to school with you."
Jeon Hye-ji decided she had to be dreaming. And small wonder — the moment she opened her eyes, she had arrived in a completely different world.
Brilliant white light flooded the entire space. A dome-shaped chamber. One glance was enough to tell her this was no Trailer.
Where on earth am I?
What just happened?
What calmed her spiraling confusion was none other than Won-goo's face.
"Quit gawking. Up."
"Where even is this...?"
"No idea. Some quiet corner of the universe, I'd guess."
"......?"
"Explaining it piece by piece would be a pain. Get up for now. Head to the center."
Hye-ji rose and made her way toward where the others had gathered.
She couldn't tear her eyes from her surroundings. And then there were the stars glimpsed beyond the windows.
Space. Unmistakably, impossibly, space.
But what seized her gaze most of all was a single woman standing there.
Jeon Hye-ji — and even Baek Seol — could fairly claim a place among the beautiful. But the woman at Won-goo's side stood beyond that category altogether.
A ponytail, and skin pale as porcelain. Finely cut features — striking, yet never excessive, carrying even a faintly frail, sickly delicacy. And despite all that, her eyes sparkled with vivid, unmistakable light.
In the old world, "celebrity" would have been the profession made for her. She radiated that much brilliance, and her figure was every bit as lovely as her face — you could tell even without the clothes clinging to her.
Jeon Hye-ji felt a strange, quiet sense of defeat.
"Introductions first. This is Simya — the one who keeps this crew fed. You'll rarely see her face otherwise. Only here. She stays in this place; think of the android that moves while we sleep as something she pilots."
Swoosh.
Jo Mu-sa raised a hand. A question, clearly.
"I have a rough idea what you're about to ask. But answering it all would take far too long. Wait for the explanation. First — Simya."
"Yes."
"She's new crew, so remember her well."
"Understood."
"Now that we've done the greetings, you're all wondering what in the world this situation is. So I'll tell you. This is my Gift. The Temporary Shelter."
"Th-the Trailer wa-wasn't a T-Temporary Shelter?"
Suwon couldn't hold the question in.
"That's a side function. This is the real thing. The genuine article is access to a Temporary Shelter in space. Don't ask me how it's possible. I don't know. How much in this flipped-upside-down world makes proper sense anyway? Regardless — for a set period of time, I can open this place."
"Then outside..."
Jo Mu-sa asked. Won-goo snapped his fingers, and a huge monitor flickered to life, showing the view beyond the Trailer.
The Trailer was still caught squarely inside the Waterspout.
"It'll come through fine, so don't waste the worry."
"How long can we remain here?"
Geum Chul-soo's question.
"Until the Waterspout runs its course, for starters. So enjoy yourselves. Every facility here is open to you. There's liquor of every kind. Same for food — though most of it's instant. If you want some quiet time alone, take Exit 1 and pick any room. They're set up like guest quarters; rest there. Water's unlimited. Food's unlimited. Exit 2 is the pool and hot springs. Exit 3 is the dining hall. Exit 4 and beyond haven't been activated yet."
The whole crew stood gaping as they listened to Won-goo's explanation.
"Everything here is free. Until the Waterspout ends, use this place as you please. My recommendation: take Exit 0 and go look outside. Don't worry about safety. If you drift too far, you'll be pulled right back here. Everyone understand? Nod if you do."
And so they all nodded.
"One more announcement. Twelve hours from now, we'll be screening a film here. Made before the apocalypse, naturally. Whose turn was it this time?"
"Mine, Hyeong-nim."
"Right. Our Kkakdugi. What do you want to watch?"
"I... I'd like to watch the Avatar series, please."
"Good choice. Proper masterpieces. You all heard him — we're screening Avatar. The whole series. Enjoy your private time, and if boredom sets in, come on back here."
It was heaven on earth. Only now, finally experiencing the Temporary Shelter for themselves, did the new crew understand why everyone followed Won-goo's word so faithfully.
In a world overrun by the apocalypse, an ability like this was the kind people had no choice but to gather around.
"Enjoy it, all of you! It's not an opportunity you'll get often."
With that, Won-goo clamped a cigarette between his lips and headed for Exit 0.
The door slid open, and the vast expanse of space spread itself bare before him.
Countless stars strewn across the dark like scattered sand. And beyond them, a structure of incomprehensible scale loomed into view.
A colossal machine-glyph glowing with hundreds of millions of lights.
It could have passed for a planet in its own right.
Won-goo stood atop the void of space and gazed up at the impossibly massive structure. Then he exhaled a long, slow drag of smoke.
"Feels like it's gotten even bigger. Damn thing."
He glanced down at the watch on his wrist.
Waterspout achievement — unlocked.