Chapter 571
Rumble!
The earth-shaking surge of powerful magic—“…Damn.”
Even before and after the Fifth Great Cataclysm, Busan was always one of the top three most populous cities in the country.
A long time ago, a smart, handsome elementary school kid who came to Busan on a family trip would press up against the window every night.
‘Taekyung, what are you looking at?’
‘The bridge! It’s sparkling! So pretty!’
‘Whoa, you’re right. Is it a fitting model?’
‘…Not those legs, Dad.’
‘Oh.’
‘That one over there! The long, sparkling one!’
‘Ah, Gwangan Bridge?’
‘Gwangan Bridge? What’s that?’
‘That’s the name of the bridge. You saw it earlier today, too, but it looks even prettier at night, right?’
‘Yeah! I want to go! Take me to Gwangan Bridge right now!’ The father, looking at his son who was whining and begging, smiled with pure affection.
‘Oh my, my son. Dad’s exhausted after driving all day, and you only think about yourself. Who did you take after to be like this?’
‘Then can I ask Mom what a fitting model is?’
‘…You really are my kid. Pack your bag.’
It’s one of those unforgettable moments in life. Holding my father’s hand, who looked a little sullen, I went to Gwangan Bridge, and the memory left a vivid mark in my young mind.
It was enormous and sparkling, and next to me was my dad, who was always busy and hardly had time for us.
I even forced my dad, who complained about his neck disc, to give me a piggyback ride. There was nothing in the world to envy.
‘Dad, let’s come again next week! And the week after! And next month, too! You have to give me a piggyback ride again!’
‘Haha, what do we do? If you say so, I might not be able to come next month.’
‘Why?’
‘At this rate, my neck’s going to break in two weeks. Taekyung, how many bowls of rice do you eat a day lately?’
‘I haven’t had much appetite, so just five!’
‘…That’s my kid. No wonder the night sky looks yellow.’
It’s a happy memory. We talked about all sorts of things, and excited, I bragged endlessly to little Hayeon and Mom back at the hotel.
Watching me, Dad massaged his neck and smiled, promising:
‘When Hayeon gets a bit older, and when you’re in middle school, let’s come see the sea again. Okay?’
‘Really?’
‘Of course. Here, promise.’
But that promise was not kept.
As both children grew, there were more expenses. When Mom fell ill from working extra jobs, Dad naturally got even busier.
On an ordinary day, because of an extraordinary accident, he left this world.
Still, I remembered that promise.
Even though Dad is no longer with me, the sight of Gwangan Bridge from my childhood is still vivid in my mind, even after twenty years.
And now—
Rumble.
Before my eyes, Gwangan Bridge was collapsing.
“Ah.”
A sigh escaped my lips before I realized.
My mind screamed to run there with all my strength, but my body wouldn’t move, as if held by invisible hands.
‘It’s already… too late.’
It wasn’t just my thought.
The Skeleton King who’d come with us, and even the mage who teleported us here, were watching the disaster unfolding kilometers away with hollow eyes.
“Ah, no!”
The nameless mage’s cry was empty, and the sight far below was overwhelming.
‘That’s… a wave.’
The place where a promise could no longer be kept, a place crossed by thousands and tens of thousands of vehicles every day, was engulfed by a massive wave, dozens of meters high.
Crash!
The wave, immense in weight and force, smashed into the waist of Gwangan Bridge—35 meters high and 7,420 meters long.
Screams were swallowed by sprays of water and white foam, and hundreds of cars, slowly moving at a controlled speed, were flung aside like toys.
Crash! Boom!
With a roar, the suspension bridge called Gwangan Bridge had its main towers and anchors shattered.
Hundreds of cables holding up the bridge snapped and whipped in all directions like giant lashes.
Swish, smash!
It happened in a split second.
People and cars, looking like ants, were swept away by cables and disappeared.
Blood stained the spots where they’d stood, without even time for a final scream, and the air filled with explosions and the screams of the lucky survivors.
And the blaring of horns assaulted my sharpened senses.
Honk! Hooonk!
– Reverse! Reverse quickly! You idiot!
– Kyaaaah!
– Please! Get the kid out! There’s a child here…!
It all felt like a dream.
A civilization built on magic and science was collapsing like a sandcastle.
The Gwangan Bridge, tied to my childhood memories, couldn’t withstand the weight of destruction and death and was falling apart. Survivors abandoned their cars and ran like mad.
Desperately calling for someone’s help.
Save us, please!
Mom!
Their screams woke me from my trance.
“Ah… I have to save them. I have to stop this disaster.”
Only a few dozen seconds had passed, but already hundreds were dead, and if I hesitated any longer, thousands—tens of thousands—would die.
Slap!
I slapped my cheeks hard. The sharp pain snapped me back to my senses.
Spitting blood from my burst mouth, I grabbed the Skeleton King by the collar without hesitation.
Grab!
“Uh, huh?”
“We’re going. Get it together.”
“W-wait. Where are we…!”
Before the Skeleton King could finish, I dashed and threw him out the window with all my strength.
No, I shot him out.
Crash! Whoooosh!
The reinforced glass shattered as the Skeleton King’s body shot out like a cannonball. Hearing his scream swept away by the wind, I stomped hard on the ground.
I didn’t forget to leave a word for the mage who was slumped, completely exhausted.
“Use my name and request rescue immediately, wherever you can.”
He was already exhausted, so I wasn’t sure if he heard me clearly, or even where he’d be able to send a rescue request.
Right now, nothing was more important than the situation unfolding in front of my eyes.
Bang!
With all my strength, I leapt, causing the high-rise building where the teleportation magic circle was installed to shudder.
As I shot through the dizzying sky, a shout filled with rage reached me.
“You crazy bastard!”
It was the Skeleton King. Using his authority, he’d formed wings of bone and was quickly closing the distance with powerful flaps.
Or rather, he would have—if I hadn’t blocked him.
“Go somewhere else.”
“What?”
“The range is too wide. We need to split up and cover more ground.”
[Monster Wave]. And it was happening in Busan, one of the most densely populated cities in the country.
If it were somewhere like a desert or a remote military zone as I’d seen through Magic Johnson, it would be different. But in Busan, there were thousands of people packed within just a few kilometers.
No matter what, I had to stop the flames from spreading.
“I’ll take the bridge first. You—”
“Damn it, fine.”
My words were short due to lack of time, but the Skeleton King understood well enough.
Swallowing nervously, he looked down at the dizzying ground below.
His gaze trembled as he saw the road, consumed by screams and chaos, and people running for their lives with every ounce of strength.
“Damn it, what is that?”
“What do you think?”
I replied curtly, pulling a spare spear from my inventory and aiming it at the ground.
With enhanced eyesight, I could see its form—grotesque like any other monster, covered in scales, with fins hanging down to its jaw.
‘Merman.’
An aquatic monster that lives in environments like the sea.
The male merfolk, unlike the ones described in fairy tales, were neither beautiful nor gentle.
Anyone could tell, just by looking at the hundreds of mermen rising from the sea and attacking people at this very moment.
Shhhhhk!
Karuk!
With unintelligible shrieks, the creatures charged, their tridents—barnacles clinging to the tips—flashing menacingly in their hands.
At the end of one trident, a little girl sat, sobbing on the ground.
“Waaaah! Mommy!”
“Minhee!”
A child’s cries. The parents’ screams as they turned back.
And then, hundreds of monsters charging toward their first prey.
‘Now.’
I shifted my weight.
My body, tilting diagonally, suddenly dove toward the ground, with power flowing from my Dantian out through my toes.
Bang!
Using [Water Striding Technique], I began a rapid descent through the air.
But no matter how fast I was, at this rate the girl would die before I reached her.
‘Go.’
With a quick breath, I scattered the spear I’d been aiming toward the ground.
Shiiing!
A single spear plummeted from a dizzying height like a bolt of lightning.
Cutting through the wind, erasing distance, carrying the meaning of ‘certain kill’—
It pierced its target.
Thwack! Crunch!
The merman at the front, rushing toward the child, along with a dozen monsters nearby, were instantly reduced to a splash of blood.
Hundreds of merfolk, frozen mid-movement, looked up at the sky with their mouths hanging open.
Seeing the mixture of ferocity and confusion in their eyes, I muttered,
“What are you looking at, you bastards.”
[Inventory Open. Summon.]
Click. As soon as I gripped two spears in both hands, my arms were already swinging toward the ground.
Boom! Crack!
Scales harder than steel shattered and fins were ripped apart.
One merman, lucky to only lose half its body, let out a pitiful death rattle.
– Kruk, krururuk!
Noisy.
‘Inventory open. Summon.’
Shiiing! Boom!
It was noon, with the sun high in the sky. Out of nowhere, fireworks exploded.
Sticky blood trickled down the tilted railing of Gwangan Bridge.
‘More. More. One more time.’
Open. Summon. Then summon again. And again.
It happened in a split second. The system worked instantly, my movements faster than the wind and stronger than a lightning strike.
In just a few short seconds, my outstretched hands grabbed dozens of spears and rained them down on the ground.
‘Die.’
Shiiing, boom, boom. They split apart. They burst.
Those who tried to block with tridents fell with their weapons, and those who tried to run away died before even lifting a foot.
When the little girl, sobbing on the ground just three meters away, finally started hiccuping, nothing remained around her.
“Hic. Hup.”
Was she around nine? She clamped her small hands over her mouth, stifling sobs and hiccups.
How did I look in those big eyes?
A monster who killed monsters? Or an angel descended from the sky?
I don’t know. But one thing is certain.
‘Unlike me, you probably won’t have good memories of this place.’
My mouth tasted bitter. Instead of comforting the girl as I landed lightly, I flicked my finger.
With [Phantom Ghost Killing Steps], a gentle flow of energy nudged the child away.
Toward her parents, who were running and wailing in the distance.
But the misfortune of that family wasn’t over yet.
Rumble.
Even with the sun out, the sea was blackened.
I lowered the tip of the White Flame Spear, staring at ‘that thing’ hidden behind the waves rising dozens of meters once again.
