Quest

"Hm..."

I was planning to go for the quest. More precisely, it felt like not going would be the real loss. The rewards had caught my eye — stat points, and experience.

The world had changed. Or rather, it was more accurate to say it was still in the process of changing. And if you wanted to keep pace with that change, you had to stand at its center.

"Hoo..."

I pulled my hood down low and headed outside.

I was currently leaping from rooftop to rooftop. The sidewalks were packed enough to be a hassle, and running in the street would only get in the way of people who were actually driving.

"Didn't think this would actually work..."

The wind hitting my face had a real bite to it. I'd noticed it while running — my physical abilities had improved. Before, I wouldn't have been running at all. I'd have collapsed from exhaustion long before this.

I kept at it for quite a while, and luckily I made it to the Tower before the Wave began.

"It's actually huge..."

Up close, the Tower's size defied common sense. Something like this had just... risen out of the ground?

A sea of people had already gathered in front of it. Citizens filming the Tower on their phones, reporters covering the spectacle, police trying to hold the crowd back.

"I'm telling you, the Wave is about to start!"

"Everyone, stop filming and evacuate immediately!"

Scattered through the crowd were people insisting on an evacuation.

"Must be the ones who can see the quest."

Ordinary civilians couldn't see it. To them, the Tower was nothing more than a mysterious structure that had appeared out of nowhere — they had no idea of the danger it posed. If anything, they just looked strangely at the people telling them to run.

They really can't see the quest, then...

Confirming what I'd read on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gallery, I watched the situation unfold.

"Monsters are about to come out of there!"

"You need to evacuate right now!"

They were passionate enough, but only a handful of civilians were actually listening. Eventually, people started shoving past those blocking the way, trying to get closer to the Tower. Just as the whole scene was about to spiral out of control—

One of the people holding the crowd back drew a weapon. A massive greatsword plunged into the concrete. The surreal sight silenced the entire scene in an instant. Every gaze locked onto the man who had driven the blade into the ground.

"Do you take us for a joke, just because we've only been telling you to evacuate?"

Even the police who ought to have restrained him merely glanced at one another, cowed by the presence of a man who could swing that greatsword as if it weighed nothing. With one hand resting on the hilt, he moved as though there would be no further courtesy.

Only then did the others who had been urging evacuation at his side draw weapons of their own. Arms that belonged to another age revealed themselves one after another, asserting their presence.

"This place will soon become dangerous."

Those who had drawn their weapons beside him nodded.

"We don't have much time to explain."

Kang Daehoon thought.

There wasn't much time left. Civilians were shoving past him to get closer to the Tower, and their refusal to listen only fed a growing impatience.

No choice, then...

He'd wanted to wrap this up peacefully if he could. Having come this far, he'd been patient enough. Here, he would have to push — with force, if it came to that.

The moment he drew the greatsword from his inventory and drove it into the ground, the scene went silent. Time was short. He kept it to the essentials.

If they still won't listen after that, I'll have to drag them out myself.

Fortunately, force proved unnecessary. The civilians scowled, clearly unhappy about it, but no one tried to approach the Tower after that. A few still picked fights; they tucked their tails the instant a weapon was pointed their way.

"Does that settle things, then?"

A man carrying a longsword approached Kang Daehoon and asked.

"There may still be people who try to come closer. Let's keep our guard up."

"Hah... Understood..."

Kang Daehoon looked around the Tower. Others who could see the quest, same as him, were gradually joining the line. Every so often a civilian would try to sneak closer, and each time an arrow came flying from somewhere to plant itself in the ground at their feet.

I don't know who you are, but you have my thanks.

By the time he'd made a full circuit—

Barely a minute remained.

"Let's not die out here."

"Haha. There's always the chance the monsters won't even show, isn't there?"

"That would be ideal."

Even as he said it, he wore a bitter smile. If only all of this were a simple misunderstanding. If the Wave never started, and he'd been wrong. Then no one would get hurt.

"Ah — I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kim Hyunwoo."

"Kang Daehoon."

"Daehoon, then."

"......"

"......"

Everyone held their breath. It was hard to believe this was the same noisy scene from moments ago. Had breathing always been this loud?

Kang Daehoon pulled the planted sword free and slung it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠over his shoulder. Kim Hyunwoo stood his blade upright and quietly steadied his breathing. Those who had gathered began preparing for the Wave, each in their own way.

"Fortune favor you."

"...You as well, Hyunwoo."

He returned the wish in kind.

And then—

Ten seconds that might well be their last began to tick away.

The Wave had begun. Something like fissures started to open around the Tower.

Is that a Gate?

I nocked an arrow and drew the string. Small green monsters came bursting out of the Gate.

"G-goblins!"

Someone shouted. The monsters called goblins charged straight at the people.

Time slowed. A droplet falling from the sky caught in my eye. In that stretched moment I took in the target, unhurried. My vision narrowed. A goblin charging a person. I released.

Whiiik—!

The arrow cut the air and punched clean through the goblin's brow. What had been a goblin tumbled weakly to the ground.

And with that, the real fighting began.

A man swung a greatsword, and the goblin charging him was sent flying. Another man swept a longsword, and a goblin's arm came off. A mace caved in a skull; a spear punched through a body. Those with support skills weakened the goblins or bolstered their allies.

Then a few of the goblins broke toward the civilians watching from the rear.

"Aaaaah—!"

A civilian screamed. Screams spread. In an instant the scene dissolved into pandemonium, and the goblins, whipped into a frenzy by it, chased after the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crowd.

Arrows flew. The goblins pursuing the civilians dwindled one by one. Among the civilians themselves, people drew weapons and finished the ones I hadn't been able to snipe.

"Hm..."

I wasn't sure I had any right to say this, given I wasn't fighting up close — but the goblins were weak. Hand an ordinary adult a weapon, and they could probably put one down. Their numbers made them a nuisance, but the people gathered here were better than I'd expected.

A few who spotted goblins slipping through even fell back to the rear and hunted the stragglers down. The goblins poured out without end, but the front line never broke. And so, little by little, people learned how to fight.

Twenty minutes had passed. The shape of the battle hadn't changed much from the start. The one difference, if you could call it that, was that they'd begun fighting in two shifts to manage their stamina.

"No way this is all there is..."

And that was exactly why I was uneasy. Sure enough, a new shadow began to take shape in the Gate.