Shadows of Betrayal and the Meteor's Descent

I'd often seen faces from the Awakener Management Agency dropping by the convenience store.

But Cha Minhyuk—this was my first time seeing him in person.

He looked smaller than on TV.

More gaunt than on TV.

More ordinary than on TV.

He just seemed like your typical exhausted Korean guy in his forties.

Much like how I was your typical guy in my twenties.

"Could you ring me up?"

Thud.

An Americano pack and an ice cup.

I scanned his face with a quick glance while ringing up the barcode, then grabbed a fatigue recovery drink.

"Thanks as always. This one's on me."

Judging from their actions so far, the Agency seemed like a trustworthy bunch.

And Cha Minhyuk, right there on the front lines, had the image of a national hero.

'For now, at least.'

His weary, stiffened face softened with a faint smile.

"Thank you. I'll enjoy it. See you."

Ding-a-ling—

Cha Minhyuk left the store, heading toward the Agency building.

'It's quitting time, but he's heading back to work?'

Probably.

A guy with that much responsibility on his shoulders.

I reached out to Carmina.

[What do you think?]

—He doesn't seem like a bad guy at all, just from his face. He's got this charisma, but he's friendly too? Ah! I'm dying again!

I felt the same way.

If I ever needed to connect with the Agency, Cha Minhyuk would be my first pick.

'But something still feels off.'

Cha Minhyuk's public announcement to the nation.

No mention of the Agency at all.

Was it too much to think it felt like a covert signal passed to the Hitchhiker?

Lost in thought, I stared down at my shadow on the floor.

—Why do I have to take this! So frustrating! I could sneak in better myself!

[Carmina.]

—Yes, Master!

[Let's do a stealth op.]

After work, at a café near the Agency.

It was 10 p.m., and I was sucking down iced tea through a straw, waiting for Carmina.

'Oh, here she comes.'

I glanced out the window.

The bustling street with flashing neon signs.

I could feel Carmina approaching, slipping through the deep shadows here and there.

Soon, she slipped into my shadow.

[How'd it go?]

—That uncle! He doesn't go home!

Carmina, who'd infiltrated Cha Minhyuk's shadow.

She'd been scouting the Agency.

[He doesn't go home?]

—He has his own room in the building? It's a tiny on-call room, but he dozes off there for a bit, then suddenly jerks awake yelling "Hitchhiker!" ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and dives back into work.

She said he'd just kept working nonstop.

Alone in a darkened office.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

—He seems to have an insane sense of responsibility for his position. Like a mission to stop the Tower rampages? But he's under a ton of stress from the pressure.

Makes sense.

Being the head of the Agency can't be easy.

[Anything suspicious?]

—His hair! That lush stuff! It's a wig. He only takes it off when he's relaxed.

[...Anything else?]

—Oh! Oh! While he was working, he kept typing and deleting the same phrase on a blank document.

[What phrase?]

—"Who the hell is leaking info? Who? Which team? Who?" He kept muttering it. "Hitchhiker... please don't show up." Stuff like that.

This was intriguing.

The picture was starting to come together.

'If my hunch is right...'

Cha Minhyuk was afraid of the Hitchhiker contacting the Agency.

Worried that info on the Hitchhiker might get leaked to spies.

The Agency.

I knew they'd gotten past the early chaos and were now a solid group united by patriotism.

But apparently not completely airtight yet?

'Which traitor is it?'

Who's leaking the info?

—Master. Should I just bite him?

[Huh? Bite who?]

—Cha Minhyuk. If I sink my fangs in, I can make him totally our guy. I just avoid drinking blood, but I can do it!

[What do you mean "totally our guy"?]

—His soul gets sucked out, leaving an empty shell that obeys orders like a puppet! Minor downsides like a bit of IQ drop, but nothing major!

[...Does he go back to normal?]

—No way!

[......]

—Just bite him! Cha Minhyuk!

Bite him? No way.

A guy pouring his body and soul into saving the country.

'Though you never really know what's in people's hearts.'

I secretly placed my fresh iced tea and cookies on top of my shadow.

They vanished in a flash.

[Just chomp on those instead.]

—Cookies! Iced tea! Yum!

Seemed like we'd need to keep Carmina infiltrating the Agency for a few more days.

Back home, I headed straight into the 10th floor.

A break?

Not today.

I had a ton to do.

'New skill acquisition, planet restoration function, and check for achievements.'

"You got this, right?"

"No need to ask twice!"

Slime King.

A massive blue guy with a crown.

Like the 5th floor, it was a boss fight.

Which meant a wall of tears.

Insane regeneration.

Plus shameless splitting ability.

Its movements were sluggish, not super threatening.

But challengers would tire out and give up first on the 10th floor.

If you couldn't hit the DPS threshold, passing was impossible.

'Not an issue for me, though.'

Swoosh!

Carmina shot forward like an arrow.

Blood droplets scattered from her fingertips, forming a whip in her hand.

She reached the Slime King in an instant—before it could even move.

Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!

The merciless whipping began.

At speeds too fast to follow.

Slime King?

No chance to split.

It just got pummeled to death.

Splat!

Mucus sprayed everywhere.

'Clean and brutal.'

Carmina. Categorized as an offensive mage, but damn good in close quarters too.

Then came the message barrage.

The record was still overwhelming.

Scores trending upward.

1,000 coins?

Who even uses coins anymore?

After a few jackpots, this barely registered.

Whoa, this is a haul.

The Equipment Guaranteed Enhancement Ticket first.

Amazing reward.

They say gear matters more the higher you go, where climbing slows.

Second one now, including the last. Stockpiling.

'Skill Cooldown Reset Ticket.'

Doesn't work on ally recruitment.

Makes sense, in a way.

It's not cooldown-based; it's condition-unlocked.

'And an S-grade item.'

Abysmal drop rate normally.

No duplicates known.

Meaning I'm the first and last to get the Orb of Truth.

Not combat-oriented, sadly.

Wait. Hang on. Used right, this could...

'Sniff out every spy in the Agency?'

Lost in thought, Carmina sent an SOS.

"Eww! Master! This is so slimy!"

"I'll help. Let's pick it up together."

Slime King's mucus all over the floor.

We collected the loot.

For now, mull over how to use the Orb on spies.

"Hey! Master! You sneakily checked the messages alone! We look together!"

"Saved the main one for you. Scroll down."

"After 1-5, now this! Section achievements for real!"

Hell yeah. Expected it, but confirmation hits different.

People must be going nuts.

Check reactions?

Click.

Click.

Enough.

Getting dizzy.

They're thrilled, that's what matters.

"This is the real star."

"Can't wait!"

Complete random from the skill pool.

No telling what you'd get.

Whew. Deep breath.

"Acquire skill."

"Ooh! Meteor Fall!"

"Out of the skill pool ones I've seen, it's one of the tamer names."

Black Hole. Supernova Explosion. Sun Summon.

Mild by comparison.

Skill level 10, matching my Awakener level.

Carmina sparkled like a kid with a dangerous new toy.

"Try it now, Master?"

"Tradition to test new skills right away, but..."

Glance.

"Might be risky here. Tower space is big, but it's a meteor skill."

More to check anyway.

Straightforward description.

Figure it out hands-on?

"Nosferatu—must be a total monster field if it's destroyed, right?"

"Yeah. High chance."

"If we gate in and land amid monsters, can we escape?"

"Depends, but 99% yes! They were numerous, not super strong individually!"

Carmina.

Airhead at times, but objective about her combat power.

Trustworthy.

"Let's go then."

"Sounds good! Whew. Kinda nervous!"

Her home planet?

Carmina's face trembled.

"Open gate. Nosferatu."

Vrrr—!

Space split, gate appeared.

Step in.

Flash—!

Scenery shifted.

A barren field.

"Gruk?"

"Gruruk!"

Black-skinned orcs spotted us, swarming like bees.

"Master! Don't freak!"

Suddenly airborne, ground rushing away.

Carmina, bat wings spread, hugging me from behind as we soared.

Uh, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hmm. Something's pressing.

A bit embarrassing.

But momentary.

Dizzying height and epic vista ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠snapped me back.

Towers jutting everywhere.

Ruined castles and buildings.

Cracked, dried, wasted earth.

And.

——!

———!

Monsters covering it like ants—countless.

How many...? Tens of thousands? Hundreds? Millions?

Impossible to gauge. Like hell on earth?

"Nosferatu...! Nosferatu...!"

Carmina's trembling voice, shocked.

I got it. If Earth looked like this, I'd be devastated too.

Glanced around.

'No glowing, active towers. All rampaged.'

Rampaged towers spawn gates in range, spew monsters, then dim.

Like duty done.

Korea's towers too: Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeju Island.

Each meticulously gated every corner, turning regions monster fields, then dimmed.

Jeonnam tower: exactly Jeonnam land.

Gyeongsangnam-do: exactly there.

Felt malicious.

Petty human borders? Fine, take 'em one by one, despair.

'Small mercy:'

Monsters don't leave their zones unless provoked.

Why odd coexistence possible.

'Don't poke, they don't attack.'

But Nosferatu? Total apocalypse, no "don't attack."

Picture formed.

Ongoing rampages.

Shrinking territory.

Vampires pushed to last scrap, final stand.

Dizzying just imagining—then.

My vision shifted.

Like sim space: tower zones and monsters color-coded.

Red, yellow, blue, green...

Map-like by district.

Overlays: summonable meteor size.

Trajectory, speed.

Circular damage radius.

'Can scale size this big, radius grows too.'

"Master...! It's heartbreaking...! Those monsters...! Monsters took my family...! Our planet...!"

Crystal clear.

What to do now.

'Meteor Fall.'

A massive hole tore open in the sky, stars shining through.