Thaw (2)
Thaw (2)
- KUUUUNG...!
The Tower of Bitter Cold trembled. Lee Ha-yul kept up his Observation, his brow furrowing.
The space around it groaned.
The vortex from which the tower had erupted was being slowly torn apart, a sharp crack splitting across the surrounding space.
What was visible to the world was, at most, the tip of its pinnacle. Even that was prevented from fully emerging by the Tower's Restrictions.
- Ooooohhh...
Yet it had manifested in the world all the same.
From the groaning tower, a mournful wailing seeped out. The exposed peak darkened to pitch black, and then something bulged out from within.
- Grrrrrrugh...
A foreleg covered in bruise-blue fur. Thick claws dug into the earth and hauled its body upward. A head emerged, scattering a baleful gleam from its eyes.
- Kyaaaaaaaah─!
A roar exploded from its wide-open maw.
As if that were the signal, monsters began to pour out from the tower.
The basin flooded with monsters in an instant, and those who had been transfixed by the tower's presence snapped back to their senses.
"Enemy forces emerging! Concentrated fire with preemptive magic—launch!"
At the commander's signal, the mages triggered their spell formulas. Light, restraining-purpose magic rained down on the basin like a storm.
Kra-KA-BOOM! The trap spells pre-installed across the basin and the surrounding area also activated.
- Kyaaaaaak...!
There was no significant effect. Whether one died or not, dozens, then hundreds of monsters trampled over its corpse and charged.
Bewilderment clouded one mage's face.
Why is our magic output so pathetic?
Still, it was only restraining magic. No one had expected major damage, but the impact was too minimal even so.
The answer was relayed soon after.
[Changhae Family's Baek Min-jun has broadcast! Average threat assessment: 6th Rank, seven 4th-Rank entities identified!]
[Calamity Flame Family's Hong Do-young has broadcast! Confirmed that monsters are receiving a corrective boost through the so-called Tower!]
"Seven 4th-Rank entities right from the start...?"
The information was simple: the monsters' ranks were high, and they were being strengthened by the dungeon—the Tower's—corrections.
"Is that really a Tower?"
The faces of those holding the frontline grew unsettled at the word.
How did the world perceive the Towers?
The Tower of Growth nurtured world-class talents, and the Tower of Observation analyzed and forecasted unknown Catastrophes.
The Tower of Space connected a world fragmented by monsters and dungeons, and the Tower of Harmonization restored collapsed virtual spaces and unified languages.
Even the Tower of Knowledge, barely known to the public, served a vital role.
They were commonly praised as "pillars that sustain the world."
The Five Towers had always been friendly and beneficial to humanity.
This Tower was different.
It had shot up out of nowhere, as if tearing through the dungeon's entrance itself.
From its mere presence, a dizzying cold energy that seemed to freeze the soul seeped out, and it emitted a wailing that clawed at mind and body.
It was not quietly waiting for climbers; it was actively disgorging monsters.
No matter how you interpreted it, the stance was hostile.
An exception had arisen to the very concept of the Towers, and that fact alone provoked unrest.
"Clear your minds of idle thoughts this instant."
Kung! A heavy vibration shook the surroundings. Atop the barrier wall, Hong Jin-seon continued speaking calmly, unfazed by the gazes fixed on him.
"Do not lose focus on the battlefield. Such preoccupations can wait until the fighting is over."
"You're certainly nonchalant. Must come with being a Tower veteran."
Baek Wol-seon, who had been making a playful jab from a distance, raised his spear. As if in answer, Hong Jin-seon lifted his Beacon Fire Sword, and Lee Ji-ah stepped forward.
There was no special signal.
This was the Changhae family's Territory, and nearly the entirety of their forces were under the command of the Three Great Families. The path opened before them as if on its own.
- Kung!
Taesan took the lead.
Having crossed the barrier's gate, Lee Ji-ah clenched her fist.
Cr-runch! A horrifying crushing sound came from her fist. The vital energy drawn from the ground beneath her feet gathered below her forearm.
In the next moment, she extended her fist forward.
Mountain-Breaking. Taesan's most fundamental Expansion Ability manifested.
The shockwave spread before the sound itself. The force, unleashed in a forward wave, burst and pulverized the monsters that had been charging at the fore.
- Kreeaaaagh...!
Most of the monsters were erased, unable to leave behind proper corpses. Only those of the higher ranks survived to be sprawled out, their bodies wrecked and broken.
Lee Ji-ah, having orchestrated the sight, stepped back. Lee Ji-yeon and Lee Sang-gun of the Pure Life Pillar, both having readied Mountain-Breaking, moved forward to her left and right.
- Kwaaaaang─!
The Mountain-Breaking blasts that followed in succession struck the axes of the other monster Army Corps. Kwaang! The Mountain-Breaking blasts of the other Pure Life Unit members detonated one after another in their wake.
The monsters that had filled the basin as they charged were wiped clean in an instant.
But that volume had only been the first wave.
A second wave now poured forth, equal to or even greater than the last.
The Taesan forces, without overreaching, pulled back behind the barrier, and someone else landed after crossing over it.
- Fwooorrk...!
The moment he landed, Hong Jin-seon brought his Beacon Fire Sword crashing down. Calamity Flame, surging up violently, was brought down with the blade.
The drawn line of the Calamity Flame slash bisected the army corps and triggered a massive explosion.
- Fwoooooosh─!
After the Mountain-Breaking blast had faded, the Calamity Flame swallowed the vitality energy left behind by deliberate intent. As the Calamity Flame swelled its form rapidly, Hong Jin-seon retreated.
"Hup!"
It was just as before. Jeonghwaju Hong Jin-hyeok unleashed the Calamity Flame he had gathered to its limit, paired with his own slash.
He withdrew, and then Hong Yeon-hwa stepped forward.
A sword woven from her Winged Garment. Calamity Flame, burning fiercely, was compressed onto the calamity-blade, then swelled, then compressed again in a repeated cycle.
Her teeth gritted, having compressed the Calamity Flame several times, Hong Yeon-hwa swung her sword horizontally.
The slash, composed of ultra-high-density Calamity Flame, drew a blood-red line. Shaaaak! The slash completely annihilated the second wave and cleaved through the vanguard of the third.
"Whoa, that's the real deal! Think they'll issue us something like that later, even if it's not as good?"
"Shut up and get over the wall."
The Jeonghwa Unit also poured out their Calamity Flame, sweeping away the third wave entirely. As the Calamity Flame Family pulled back behind the barrier, another group stepped forward.
"They just keep pouring out like cockroaches from the get-go."
The Changhae family.
Baek Wol-seon, clicking his tongue at the sheer volume of the army corps charging through the still-burning Calamity Flame, raised his spear.
- Changpaju.
[Yes!]
The moment he sent the Sound Transmission, the reply shot back. Simultaneously, three Water Dragons that had crossed the barrier came crashing down on the monsters.
- Kwaaarrrrrr!
The Water Dragons exploded, unleashing their Water Energy. The amplified Water Energy of the Changpa Unit members flooded the area.
With a Tidal Wave breaking out right in the middle of the battlefield, Baek Wol-seon grinned and drove his spear into the ground.
The Ten-Thousand Mirrors Unit, who specialized in handling the Azure Sea's Cold Aura, assisted Baek Wol-seon.
"......."
In time with her breathing, Baek A-rin also thrust her spear forward. A wave of freezing chill that had bloomed at the spear tip spilled out.
Azure Sea Expansion Ability
Sea-Prison Cold Finger
- Th-th-thump!
Monsters swept up by the Tidal Wave were impaled upon pillars of ice.
The pillars were not sharp. Their tips were blunt; describing the attack as crushing through rather than piercing was more accurate.
A monster pierced by a pillar opened its mouth. The blood about to pour from its maw froze solid before it could even spill out.
"Hoo."
Exhaling a cold breath, Baek Wol-seon pulled out his spear.
The ice melted. Even the frozen monsters themselves were converted into Water Energy, which then seeped into the ruined earth.
The soil, now imbued with the Azure Sea's Water Energy, rapidly became saturated with vitality energy.
"Clan Head, the Dark Evil Unit is also ready."
Having watched Baek Wol-seon withdraw from atop the barrier, Lee Ji-yeon spoke.
This was the Three Great Families' core linked strategy.
First, Taesan breaks them. Calamity Flame burns them along with the generated vitality energy. The Azure Sea quells the Calamity Flame, then freezes them again, and from the melted Water Energy, vitality energy sprouts anew.
Once swept away in that manner, the corpses and Thought Residue scattered across the ground are raised by Taesan.
"I cannot use necromancy at present."
"Excuse me?"
Lee Ji-yeon, who had been preparing the necromantic support, blinked.
The 11th Clan Head of Taesan, Lee Ji-ah.
Popularly known as Taesan's Northern Dipper, her specialized quality was necromancy.
"Due to certain circumstances, I cannot operate necromancy. Therefore, the Acting Clan Head will command the undead."
"?"
Lee Ji-ah repeated herself nonchalantly. To Lee Ji-yeon, the words were nothing short of confounding.
She had not heard a single word of this beforehand.
That Lee Ji-ah, of all people, was in a situation where she couldn't wield necromancy? A scenario she had never once considered.
"Uh, ah..."
Lee Ji-yeon, who had been flabbergasted, shut her mouth.
It was because of the Dark Evil Unit members, who were just as bewildered but had their eyes fixed on her nonetheless.
She squeezed her eyes shut once, then opened them again and spoke.
"...Understood. I will take command of the necromancy. The Dark Evil Unit will manifest Expansion Abilities focusing on me."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Lee Ji-yeon pressed her palms together. She raised her mana significantly, seized Earth Domination, and expanded her Innate Talent.
The members of the Dark Evil Unit, Taesan's necromancy-specialized force, also roused their Taesan ability centering on Lee Ji-yeon.
"Begin."
A dull light spread through the Mana Gleam in Lee Ji-yeon's eyes as she drew a sharp breath.
Taesan Expansion Ability
Returning Dead Mountain Spirit - Dead Mountain Revival
She did not target just a few.
She targeted a zone, not individual entities. The corpses lying on the ground and the Thought Residue drifting above them were all sucked into the earth.
- Kung!
And then they rose again. The army corps of the dead clashed against the next wave of monsters.
* * *
"Impressive."
Atra, who had returned from observing the state of the battle, expressed her admiration.
Though wave after wave of monster Army Corps charged them, their combat rhythm never broke.
Since those at the vanguard were the elites of each family, their flow surely came from prior coordination.
The results they were producing, however, were even more astonishing.
"I knew the synergy between those three abilities was excellent, but seeing them fully linked, it's even more impressive."
"Well, they're elites led by the Clan Head, so it's only natural."
Shrugging, Liana moved her fingertips. Mana flowed into the spirits through the bonds of their contracts.
Liana's spirits supported the faltering front lines and acted as her eyes, surveying the battlefield.
"...The ranks and numbers are steadily rising."
"Mm."
The war situation was overwhelmingly favorable, but they had to consider the long term.
What had appeared was a Tower, but perhaps because a Dungeon Outbreak had occurred simultaneously, the space was isolated. Additional reinforcements and supplies were unlikely.
The monsters pouring in were steadily increasing, and their average rank was rising.
Blind optimism was forbidden.
"Seo-yul, you're not feeling nauseous or getting a headache, are you?"
"Yes, I'm really fine."
Ellia and Lee Seo-yul were also at their side. When Ellia asked with worry, Lee Seo-yul shook her head and fluttered her wings.
- Flare...!
With the flap of her wings, a five-colored light cluster scattered. It was a fairy-specific ability—a light cluster that revitalizes spirits.
- Recharge complete! Alright, I'm heading back in!
- Woof!
The spirits waiting for their turn at Lee Seo-yul's side received the light cluster and returned to the front lines.
Watching the scene, Liana suddenly spoke.
"The kid's currently operating solo, you said."
"Yeah, he mentioned he had a lot to do going back and forth between the Spell Workshops."
Lee Ha-yul wasn't at Lee Seo-yul's side.
He had left Seo-yul in their care and stepped away, saying he needed to focus on the Spell Workshops. Lee Ha-yul of all people.
"...Something about this feels unsettling."
Liana narrowed her eyes and muttered. Atra, standing beside her, also fell silent.
It wasn't just the two of them; others felt similarly.
There was nothing strange about the reasoning Lee Ha-yul had given, but the instinctive unease didn't subside.
* * *
This isn't the main army.
Standing with Jeonghwa in hand, Lee Ha-yul confirmed it by examining the quality of the horde that had been pouring in for hours.
There were no Legion Commanders, and the quality of the subordinates was relatively low.
He didn't know about later, but at least for now, that was all it was.
Even so, the situation wasn't truly optimistic.
Part of the danger lay in the Tower Master and his army, but the real threat was the environmental shift caused by the Tower's manifestation.
However, the restrictions on our Tower Masters were currently in effect.
This was nothing compared to the extreme changes that would accompany a full-scale invasion.
As expected, this was a reckless invasion beyond imagination.
In the original work, events equivalent to Catastrophes began to appear gradually from the end of the third year to the beginning of the fourth year.
The Towers' invasions typically began in earnest around one to two years after graduation.
This is far too soon.
In contrast, the current timing was at least three to five years early.
The defenses of our Tower Masters were still solid. Having forced their way through despite this, the burden must have been immense.
What was certain was that the loss incurred just to advance their schedule by a few years would be astronomical.
Why go to such lengths?
Could a being that had lived for eons, devouring countless worlds, really not wait just a few years? Was that why he was forcibly shoving his Tower in like this, even without an Incarnation?
- Kwoooom...!
It was at that moment.
The Tower of Bitter Cold, which had been spewing monsters as if through a gaping hole, emitted a harsh tremor.
A commotion rippled through the front lines at the ominous resonance.
Lee Ha-yul fluttered his wings and hopped up onto the foremost barrier wall.
"Ha-yul."
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been on the same barrier wall, approached him. Gripping her sword, she furrowed her brows and stared into the distance.
- Boom!
The Tower of Bitter Cold heaved. Soon, the pitch-black entrance gaped wider, and an enormous monster burst out.
The pressure it radiated was incomparable to a 4th Rank. That meant it was a 3rd Rank entity.
At that, Hong Yeon-hwa's expression twisted slightly.
Of course, considering the forces gathered here, a single 3rd Rank wasn't a major threat, but it was an entity with the latent power to inflict unexpected damage.
Not a Legion Commander, then.
Lee Ha-yul also finished his assessment with Observation.
There had been a similar entity that was a Legion Commander, but this one wasn't it.
However, the Tower of Bitter Cold was exerting a repulsive, harmful influence on the world simply by being embedded here.
He didn't want to drag this out.
Nodding slightly, Lee Ha-yul openly unleashed his presence.
"Ha-yul?"
Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes widened at his sudden action, but Lee Ha-yul ignored her and extended his three pairs of wings forward.
Manifest.
Calamity Flame, Azure Sea, and Taesan.
He split each energy into six branches, concentrated them, and released them through the tips of his six wings.
The released tricolor energies wavered. He seized the energy trying to scatter and forced it into a single point.
- Wooooong...!
"...!"
They violently pushed against each other in Repulsion.
Yet even as they pushed, they drew each other in, inducing Mutual Promotion.
The process repeated countless times in an instant.
The sphere swelled unevenly. With such fiercely individualistic forces colliding, it seemed ready to burst at any moment.
Gather.
It didn't burst. The resistance was brief, and ultimately, they were brought under his dominion and compressed.
In the past, this process had been difficult.
There was a gap between the Innate Talents that were established and those that weren't. Plus, having to go through Homogenization doubled the Heart Power consumption.
Now it was different.
Each Innate Talent was firmly established within him, and since he didn't go through Homogenization, the Heart Power consumption wasn't that significant either.
In fact, because they're so established, the Mutual Promotion and Repulsion are smooth.
It was easier to manifest, and the final result achieved through the interplay of Mutual Promotion and Repulsion was far superior. Lee Ha-yul looked at the Three Ends forming at the tips of his wings and grinned broadly.
"Wh-... What is that?"
The sphere, having undergone repeated condensation, had grown larger than Lee Ha-yul.
Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes trembled faintly.
It wasn't just any sphere.
It was obvious if you had eyes, but even without them, she could feel its immense power through her Qi Sense.
"Ha, Ha-yul! Get rid of that, quickly...!"
If that went off here, they'd be beyond just normally screwed.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had opened her mouth wide to scream, instead hastily waved her hands, afraid of breaking Lee Ha-yul's concentration.
"Sh-She's right! What are you trying to use right now!?"
[......]
Baek A-rin, who had come dashing over from a barrier a few spots away, also cried out in horror upon seeing the Three Ends.
Twitching an eyebrow, Lee Ha-yul clenched his fist. The Three Ends shot forward. The aghast 3rd Rank monster twisted its body to dodge.
The Three Ends exploded between the 3rd Rank monster and the Tower of Bitter Cold.
In the blink of an eye, the swollen pure white sphere swallowed everything around it.
The 3rd Rank monster, half of its body swallowed, gaped its maw. Even the half not directly swept by the attack was burning, freezing, and splintering into dirt.
The cold aura pouring from the Tower of Bitter Cold formed a defensive barrier.
Screeeeech! The barrier colliding with the Three Ends repeatedly broke and regenerated. The Tower of Bitter Cold let out a grinding groan and shook violently.
"H-Haah..."
Strangely, there was no aftermath.
Not a single common gust of wind swept over them. That made it even more chilling.
"What in the... Ha-yul?"
Hong Yeon-hwa turned her stiffly frozen head and saw Lee Ha-yul gasping for breath and slumping down as if collapsing.
Her heart instantly sank. Horrified by Lee Ha-yul's deathly pale face, Hong Yeon-hwa urgently pulled out a potion.
"Why! Where does it hurt?! Why on earth did you use a dangerous technique like that...!"
"Mm, mmm..."
With a practiced motion, Hong Yeon-hwa brought the potion to Lee Ha-yul's lips.
Lee Ha-yul furrowed his brows, then obediently drank it down.
"Yeon-hwa, give him this too."
"Ah, thanks."
As those stunned by the absurd attack slowly gathered around, around the time the second potion was emptied, Baek A-rin, who had approached, handed over her own potion.
Hong Yeon-hwa expressed her thanks and reached out her hand.
Baek A-rin smiled faintly, passed the potion, and in that moment, raised her spear.
It wasn't strange.
This was a battlefield, and this barrier in particular was the one stationed at the very front.
It was natural to be holding a weapon.
- Craaash!
"...!"
But wrapping it thickly in Aura and thrusting it at an ally was not normal.
On top of that, she was targeting the exhausted Lee Ha-yul, who had just used a massive technique.
Why? Baek A-rin? At Lee Ha-yul? Why? For what reason?
Far faster than such doubts could form, Hong Yeon-hwa instinctively reached out her hand.
To pull Lee Ha-yul in with one arm, and to parry the spear with her Aura-wrapped hand with the other.
...Too late...
She was too late to parry it. Even if she did, she wasn't confident she could fully deflect it. If she made a mistake, Lee Ha-yul would be hit.
Lee Ha-yul had manifested Taesan, so he might be okay, but an instinctive sense of danger emanated from the Aura coiled around the spearhead.
Instead, she was quick to pull him into her arms.
There was no other choice. She had to take the hit herself first. Gritting her teeth, Hong Yeon-hwa twisted her body.
- Grip!
The situation where Hong Yeon-hwa's resolve would be tested never came to pass.
A pure white hand shot up like lightning and seized the spearhead.
- Crackle!
The Aura rippled violently in the grip. A denser, murkier blue Aura than usual. Ice formed on the Proof of Protection that held the blade.
[You finally crawled out, you parasitic bastard.]
His ragged breathing gradually steadied and lowered, the trailing droplets of sweat scattering.
From Lee Ha-yul, who had gone utterly cold, a viscous, chilling killing intent spread.