Wings from Above
The matter of bringing over the heavy equipment was resolved more easily than expected. The most problematic monsters didn’t appear much on the way there or back. The other major issue was the roads clogged with abandoned cars, but the excavator cleared the path ahead without trouble. Excavators really are the best!
With the equipment secured, it was time to choose where to build the house. I looked over maps, took recommendations from the uncles, and checked the sites myself. We finally settled on a spot about ten minutes from the Mart. It was where an eight-story commercial building stood.
“If we build here, just demolishing the place will take forever… We could speed it up with explosives, but where would we even get those now?”
“Ah, you wouldn’t know since it wasn’t there. Just wait. We can bring it down in under thirty minutes.”
“Wait, that’s actually possible? You’re not joking, right…?”
“What would I gain from lying? Just watch the team leader work.”
One of the people who had seen my ability before explained with a hint of pride to the confused uncle. The man still looked skeptical even after hearing the explanation. Well, nothing beats seeing it firsthand. No point in delaying.
“First, let’s go inside and pull out anything useful before we start.”
We had skipped this step last time due to time constraints, but these days even ordinary items were precious. Waste not, want not! With twenty people combing the entire building, it didn’t take long. We hauled everything useful outside, and two one-ton trucks were soon piled high. Having working vehicles really does make things convenient. The excavator could clear the road-blocking cars, so driving was no longer a problem.
“Is that everything?”
“Yes, we scraped together everything we could.”
“Then everyone, please move far away.”
Some looked used to the routine while others wore expressions that clearly said “this can’t be real.” They put distance between themselves and the building we were about to demolish. I had originally planned to dismantle it safely from the roof down, but after trying that method before, I knew it would be far too slow. So I decided to bring the whole thing down at once. In a normal city this would never fly, but there was no one left to file complaints anymore. As long as it worked for me, the method didn’t matter.
The process was the same as before. I smashed the inner pillars first, then stepped outside and destroyed the remaining load-bearing walls. The building collapsed with a thunderous roar. Before it fell, I slipped into a nearby building to avoid the dust. This was my second time doing this, so I was getting the hang of it. Once the dust settled a little, I headed back to where everyone was waiting. This time I had told them to stay inside, so no one got a face full of dust.
“Now let’s get to work!”
“Uh… whoa… You really brought it down that fast…?”
“No time to be surprised. We can’t afford to lose the excavator operator!”
“R-right…”
After a brief moment of shock, about half the group started working as if they were used to it. The rest reflexively followed suit.
“You don’t have to worry about monsters. The hunting team is keeping the area clear right now!”
I made sure everyone knew they could focus on the job. Knocking down a building created so much noise that it was bound to draw nearby monsters. We had confirmed that last time. This wasn’t just a construction-team job; the hunting team had to coordinate with us. For a first attempt, things were going surprisingly well. I never could have managed this alone… Na-yoon had helped tremendously, and so had the others.
With heavy machinery involved, the work speed was on an entirely different level. The excavator lifted debris into dump trucks, which then hauled it to a designated dumping site nearby. Everything was running smoothly. Moving day didn’t feel far off. And neither did clearing the Class-Exclusive Quest!
Work continued on the second day. Both people and machines were working at full capacity. Of course, I wasn’t just standing around watching as the team leader either.
‘Demolition & Construction can level up later when we actually build…’
The quest clear conditions required both building the house and raising the skill level. What I needed to focus on right now was leveling up Material Storage. I diligently shoveled debris into the storage skill and dumped it into the trucks. The level was climbing fast. My mana was dropping just as fast…
Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly today as well.
『WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK――!!』
Until that sound rang out.
What the hell was that…?
Before I could even guess the monster’s identity from the noise, it revealed itself. I had never seen one before… Not that the species was new, but I had never encountered a flying monster until now. The creature soared high in the sky.
“M-monster…!”
“Run!!”
“What kind of eagle is that huge…!”
Just as one of the uncles shouted, the monster resembled a brown-feathered eagle—except for its enormous size, large enough to snatch a person with a single talon. Its wingbeats were strong enough to reach me on the ground. Its wingspan looked to be at least five meters. Three of them occupied the sky, casting large shadows that blocked out the sunlight.
I immediately checked their names and levels.
Screech Eagle Lv.22
Level 22…? This was the first time I had seen a monster above level 20 besides the Acid Tentacler. Seeing their levels reminded me of what the girls had told me last night.
“After we took down the Acid Tentacler, it feels like the monsters got stronger.”
“You’re right, it definitely seemed that way! Oppa, do you even know how hard I worked today?”
“Not interested.”
“What!”
“Without Seo-rin’s magic, I wouldn’t have had an easy time either.”
“W-what do you mean…?”
“It was that bad…?”
That was the conversation between Na-yoon, So-hyun, and Seo-rin. Da-on had added one more thing.
“A lot of people got injured too…”
Since I thought we wouldn’t need to hunt for a while, I had only half-listened. Now that carelessness was coming back to bite us…
The moment the monsters appeared, people started fleeing in panic. Because it was a construction site, there were plenty of things to trip over, and many fell. With rebar and other sharp objects sticking out, they risked serious injury—or worse, death—if they fell before the monsters even reached them.
“Everyone, stay calm and get to cover!!”
I shouted loudly while keeping an eye on the situation. I spotted a Screech Eagle diving toward a fallen person.
“Kyaah… Kyaaaaaaaah…?!”
The person could only scream in terror as the monster closed in. I blocked its attack with the shaft of my spear. The talons were heavy. Their levels had already told me they would be strong, but they really were powerful!
“Get up and run. If you get inside a building, they won’t be able to attack easily!”
“Th-thank you…!”
The fallen person scrambled up and ran, ignoring the blood streaming from their scraped knee. While keeping the Screech Eagle in check, I realized the panic still hadn’t died down and shouted again.
“I’ll hold them off! Calmly evacuate into the nearby buildings!”
This time my voice got through. People began to regain some composure.
“The team leader is holding the monsters back!”
“Run calmly!”
“I’ll help you!”
“Th-thank you…!”
Those who had room to spare helped the injured to their feet and headed for the buildings. “At this point I don’t need to worry about them anymore… Fighting flying monsters for the first time… How am I supposed to do this?”
Once most people had taken shelter, I focused entirely on the monsters.
Do-hyun began fighting the Screech Eagles in earnest. It was my first time battling something like this, so it was tough, but I managed well enough. At least, that was how it looked to the people watching.
“How can a person get that strong…? It’s like watching a superhero movie…”
“I saw the hunting team leader fight before. It was similar.”
“No, our team leader looks a bit stronger, doesn’t he?”
“D-does he…?”
“That movement isn’t human…”
Since the Screech Eagles showed no intention of coming down, Do-hyun went up to them instead. The pile of rubble from the eight-story building was tall enough, and when it wasn’t, he kicked off the walls of the neighboring building to launch himself into the air. He swung his spear, and the struck Screech Eagle plummeted to the ground.
『Kkyaaaaaaaak……!』
You have defeated a Screech Eagle and obtained 8800 coins.
Do-hyun landed alongside it. He admired his newly purchased weapon.
“Worth every coin!”
Using the coins earned from fighting the Acid Tentacler, Do-hyun had invested in a weapon instead of stats. After watching his crude spear break after a single use, he realized that as he grew stronger, the quality of his weapon mattered just as much. So he spent a hefty 20,000 coins on the “Echo Spear.” It was still Normal grade like the Craftsman’s Spear, but it was the highest tier within that grade. Anything better would be Rare, which was too expensive for now. He decided to aim for that next time.
Regardless, the new spear’s sharpness surpassed the Craftsman’s Spear. It pierced the level-22 monster’s defenses in a single strike. Two Screech Eagles remained. Seeing one fall so easily, the others began flying higher, wary of Do-hyun.
“Hey, if they do that, there’s nothing I can do!”
He felt as helpless as a wingless bird. The Screech Eagles showed no intention of flying lower. They weren’t fleeing either.
“Man… If only Seo-rin were here…”
One bolt of her lightning would have turned them into roasted birds. The thought was frustrating. While Do-hyun stomped in place, one of the eagles that had climbed high suddenly dropped like a stone, diving straight for the ground. The speed was too fast even for Do-hyun’s high Agility to track.
“……?!”
It attacked with its beak, just as sharp as its talons. Do-hyun barely managed to dodge. The Screech Eagle shot back into the air before it could crash into the ground. Watching the brown feathers scatter, Do-hyun muttered,
“Yeah… I guess they’re not easy opponents after all…”