When the Watchdogs Wake
They called it the second floor, yet the place where Do-yun stood was still terrifyingly high.
One wrong step, and he would be reduced to a bloody smear far below.
Yet not a shred of fear showed in Do-yun's eyes.
This is nothing like free-falling from the seventh floor.
When Lily's rampage had shattered the entire Magic Tower, Do-yun had possessed not a single means of bracing for the fall. That was why he had clawed so desperately toward the Sanctuary Room. But now he had one power he hadn't held then.
Faint Wind Brand (F)
The spirit he had obtained on the eighth floor. The contracts he had formed in a daze with dozens of spirits still held even after that floor ended—and among them was the wind spirit he had once meant to return to Robin.
"Sylphy will be happier staying with Doyun-nim!"
Ciel, who had been clinging so tightly that she had become a target of Shadow Step as well, tossed out the remark. It felt as if something were prodding at the conscience buried deep in his heart—but he couldn't say she was wrong. The wind spirit who had sincerely trusted and followed Robin had taken a deep wound after witnessing his extreme choice.
Even thinking about it again, I still don't get it. Why the hell would he invite Heavenly Punishment on himself?
The affection and trust Sylphy had held for Robin had flipped into hatred in an instant. That must have been despair for Robin, but Sylphy would have been hit just as hard. Flipping one's emotions on a dime was never good for mental health.
Hmm.
The brand on his forehead trembled, conveying the spirit's feelings. What the wind spirit felt now was anxiety—the fear that her second master, Do-yun, might walk the same path as her previous one.
"I've got no intention of doing that, so stop worrying."
In a way, Robin had made things easier for him. Countless spirits resided in Do-yun's body, but the one that stepped forward most actively was the wind spirit. Because her mind was unstable, she tended to lean emotionally on her new contractor.
"Win-win, I guess."
The spirit gained emotional stability; Do-yun gained the ability to wield her power. In fact, he had been feeling that power for some time now.
This is no joke.
No matter how tilted the building was, standing on it was still nothing like standing on flat ground. Yet Do-yun felt a stability as if he were planted on solid earth. His hands and feet clung to the outer wall as if coated in adhesive—that was how.
Whoosh—
After repeatedly pressing his hands on and peeling them off, Do-yun quickly grasped the principle. The moment his skin made contact, a momentary vacuum formed, locking his body firmly in place. It was possible because the spirit was modulating the air pressure around him in time with his movements.
"We're only at second-floor height and it's already this good."
Do-yun looked down at his palm with renewed appreciation. A wind spirit's power grew stronger the closer it came to the sky. If it was already this useful, what would it show him once they climbed higher?
Carmen uses Throw (F)
While he was taking it easy, a notification floated up before Do-yun's eyes. Hanging on the building, he had nowhere good to dodge. He twisted his body in a hurry—only to realize he didn't need to.
Whoosh—
Fierce winds wrapped around him like a shield. The barrier the wind spirit created successfully deflected the unknown attack flying toward him.
Ting.
Wrapped in the wind, Do-yun narrowed his eyes as he recognized what had been flung aside.
"A card?"
A rectangular card about the size of his palm. It was a far cry from the blades or blunt weapons he had expected. But Do-yun never let his guard down for even a second. The more ordinary and ridiculous something looked, the more likely it hid some bizarre ability.
Flash—!
The moment a dazzling light burst from the card, Do-yun knew his suspicion had been right. He hurriedly covered his eyes to preserve his vision and checked his body.
No real abnormalities.
No blast wave from an explosion either—was it literally just light? Do-yun looked down for the one who had launched this unknown attack—and soon locked eyes with a suspicious figure who had spread playing cards in midair.
The cloaked man flashed a grin the moment their eyes met, spun once on the spot—and in that brief instant vanished as if he had never existed.
What the hell is he after?
Toss one flashbang-like card and disappear? He clearly never intended a proper fight with Do-yun in the first place. Looking again at the card still pouring out light, Do-yun realized the man's intent and his expression hardened.
"Ah, damn it."
The card still flashing nonstop and scattering light in every direction. It was a lure—meant to draw every eye to Do-yun as he tried to climb the building in secret.
Flash. Flash.
A card spewing light like that inevitably pulled every gaze nearby. And those gathered stares soon locked onto Do-yun hanging alone on the outer wall. The man who threw the card had chosen the perfect way to hinder him.
Whoosh.
Sure enough, a spear came flying toward Do-yun before long. Thanks to the wind spirit's shield he took no real damage—but that was only the beginning. Short spears, daggers, poisoned needles, and more weapons rained toward him all at once.
What kind of bullshit situation is this.
The quick ones had already entered the Company building. So the ones attacking Do-yun now were those who had arrived late to the area. But underestimating the latecomers would be a mistake—the power of the attacks pouring onto him was nothing to scoff at.
"So mobility's trash, but firepower's maxed out, is that it?"
Everyone had strengths and weaknesses. Those still outside seemed to have specialized in other areas to compensate for poor mobility.
"Why is everyone only coming after me?"
Knocking away another flying dagger, Do-yun spat a curse. He was the only one climbing the outer wall, so becoming the target of those left on the ground made sense. Pulling down the clear first-place runner was more rational than checking each other. But if you widened your view even a little, it was obvious Do-yun wasn't the only one heading for the top.
"Think you can catch me when you're that slow?"
"Shut up, witch!"
A pointed-hat woman soaring freely through the air on a broomstick, and a dragon hot on her heels. Not an illusion—a real dragon. He'd first thought it was a monster, but the way it used mana and spoke made it clear this was a challenger.
Why isn't anyone touching those two?
Those who could fly had long since started their own battles in the sky. Yet not a single attack flew their way. If they were so high no one could reach them, that would be one thing—but they weren't. Surely among the challengers left on the ground there had to be at least one who could snipe an enemy kilometers away.
They just think I'm the easy target.
Looking down, he spotted several challengers who had followed him onto the building's outer wall. The ability to fly through the sky was fairly rare. Those stuck on the ground had only watched each other, sucking their thumbs—until Do-yun, who looked just as earthbound as they were, showed it was possible to climb the outer wall. That had driven them wild. They wanted to drag him down and take his place themselves.
Kairos uses Breath (F)
In that moment, a massive pulse of power began to radiate from the sky. A green dragon, Kairos—light gathering at the corner of his maw. That light soon formed a thick straight line and shot forward.
BOOOOM!
Shiina barely dodged with aerobatic flying—but the building behind her had no such luxury.
Creeeak.
The outer wall that took the Breath twisted, and the entire structure shuddered. Do-yun managed to stay stuck thanks to the wind spirit's power—but several of the challengers climbing after him lost their balance and plummeted.
"Is that idiot even aware how the Company's defense system works?"
Barely fixed to the wall again, Do-yun wore a look of pure disbelief. The reason the Company building had remained intact even through the apocalypse was none other than a defense system hypersensitive to external attacks.
Clank.
With the heavy sound of metal interlocking, hidden defense mechanisms forced their way out through gaps in the building. The fully assembled turrets took a form familiar even to Do-yun's eyes.
Railguns.
Those absurdly massive weapons that had been sitting in the armory warehouse were meant to be mounted on the outer walls.
Hummm.
A low vibration resonated from inside the metal. The railguns fixed to the Company walls slowly moved, locking onto their targets. Magnetized projectiles rose along the conductive rails—and the enormous current flowing through them formed an electromagnetic field that accelerated the rounds to near-supersonic speed.
BOOOOM!
With a sound of air being ripped apart, the fired rounds split the sky like a flash of light—flying to punish the foe who had dared attack the Company headquarters.
"Ghk—!"
Kairos being hit by the rounds was a matter of pure instants. All Do-yun could see was the result those railgun shots produced.
Ssssss.
Shattered scales scattered through the air like debris, and the membrane of his wings was torn—less than half remaining. The dragon who had flaunted such majestic presence was reduced to a near-death state in the blink of an eye.
Whoosh.
Unable to maintain flight any longer, Kairos began to fall, pulled by gravity. As he fell, his body shrank. The grandeur of the great dragon crumbled away, revealing a horned, inhuman form in its place. The dragon's body hadn't been his true form—only a temporary shape manifested through a special skill.
"You fucking troll!"
Regardless, Do-yun kept cursing the dragon nonstop. Because of what that dragon had done, the Company's defenses had woken up.
Huuuum.
A low, heavy vibration rolled through the surrounding air once more. The final bastion that had held the Company together on the brink of ruin all this time. The watchman awakened from long sleep turned its barrels toward the insolent ones who had approached without permission. And of course, those targets included Do-yun and the countless other challengers present.
Gulp.
Watching light gather at the muzzles aimed their way, Do-yun swallowed hard.