FLIA 162

* * *

“What’s this?”

On the way home from work after running errands, an office worker muttered in confusion. Something was fluttering down from the sky.

“Snow in this season?”

Some saw it as snow, others as flower petals, and still others thought it might be discount flyers or dandelion seeds. Whatever it was, it drifted slowly through the air. Those who reached out of curiosity to touch it were startled by pain. But that moment passed quickly, and soon their eyes went blank.

“Ah, right… I should go home.”

Forgetting what had just happened, the office worker began walking the rest of the way home. Yet for some reason, his steps headed in one specific direction instead of home. As more and more people joined him, they soon formed a vast procession.

At first, people didn’t immediately realize something was wrong. They seemed perfectly normal on the surface. But when people stopped returning home and vanished by the tens of thousands, it became impossible to ignore. The cause was soon identified and an alert issued, but by then, a large procession of people had already headed somewhere. That place was near the Rift Management Bureau.

A moment later, six enormous flying objects were detected above the Rift Management Bureau. Drones sent to investigate captured images of the craft, revealing a shocking appearance.

Chicken, pig, cow, mosquito, rat, and fly.

Each bore the head of a different beast or insect, yet their lower jaws were human mouths, making them grotesque. Wings of red membrane, adorned with mismatched appendages like eyes, hooves, beards, or tails, flapped as the monsters hummed something.

-Come♪♬ Come now♩ To the true world♬

-Ah! True happiness lies there

-Come♬ to our jade spring♬, resplendent♬ and glorious!

-Always welcome! Congratulations! Celebrate! Come on, Ooooh!

-Debt, Ooh, debt, debt! Ahh! Debt, debt, debt! Ah, the debt of the world, ah!

-Ooooh! Ooh! Aaaah!

At first glance, it seemed like an enchanting song, but upon closer listening, it was a strange chorus of dissonance. It was also a melody that cast a wide spell of hallucination and enchantment. Even so, its effect was weak enough that one could snap out of it by staying alert or receiving a shock. But it was different for those who were pierced by the scale-like insects scattered by the six monsters as they flapped their wings.

“Ah, home, my longed-for home! Home, home, oh, home!”

“I must go there! The true world of happiness is there!”

“Aaaah! Me! Me too, me too!”

People, completely bewitched, gathered densely near the Rift Management Bureau. They stretched out both arms toward the six monsters, screaming. The monsters extended long, tube-like tentacles from their mouths and devoured them one by one. Special Unit members stationed at the Rift Management Bureau attacked, but the monsters were so resilient they completely ignored the assault. People caught in the tentacles’ snares were hauled up into the air, flailing ecstatically. And when they were devoured by the monsters, they screamed in agony.

The result of these unprecedented high-grade monsters appearing all at once was horrific. People broadcasting the situation via drone for ratings or money were left speechless. Many rushed to save their family and friends, only to be ensnared and meet the same fate.

-What the hell is that? …Wait, I think I’m gonna puke. Ugh…!

-Everyone, don’t go over there to save family or friends! Got it? Stay home!

-Anyway, the Rift Management Bureau is right nearby, so help will come soon! Everyone! Stay home!

The influencers and viewers who had been shouting so fervently soon fell silent. Amidst the crowd of people gathering reluctantly, a crack appeared in the air. Crackle, crackle…. A large, menacing rift, the kind that would make such a sound, spread in an instant. Soon, something intangible gurgled and sloshed out like a waterfall from that spot. The surroundings darkened in an instant.

As if swept by an invisible giant tongue, new buildings and houses along its vast, damp trail deteriorated as if abandoned for decades. The airflow stopped, and the sky’s color turned ominous. A sinister twilight descends, with no moon or stars, neither sunset nor sunrise. That flow instantly engulfed a vast area corresponding to the city. 

Crowds gathered, six flying objects appeared, and within minutes, a massive rift opened. Its rapid progression and scale, completely different from ordinary rifts, clearly marked it as a Great Rift. Everyone who had suffered trauma screamed. They froze in place, their minds blank.

-A Great Rift??? Did a Great Rift just open?

-Ah….

-What do we do, what do we do. I don’t want this, I really don’t want this….

A despairing silence settled among the crying and screaming people. One after another, people couldn’t bear to watch and left the broadcast. At the same time, many others came in upon hearing the news. They were desperate souls, driven by the thought of finding their family and friends, even if only through an illegal live stream. The chat scrolled down rapidly.

-Fuck, this is fucked up

– My mom isn’t answering my calls

– What the hell is the Rift Management Bureau doing? They need to respond fast!

– Fuck fuck fuck fuck

– Please find Yeon-ah for us. She left wearing a white hoodie, red hair ties, and a black backpack

-Even if they issue an evacuation order, those people are too crazy to listen. This is bad.

-Siyul, you’re not over there, right? Please.

-I want to die. What’s the point of living in a world like this?

-Korea is done for.

At that moment, someone nearby, watching the Great Rift in silence, shouted.

-The Rift Management Bureau helicopter is up!!!!!!

* * *

Two helicopters entered the airspace above the Rift Management Bureau. The monsters, busy picking off people one by one, reacted to the sound of the helicopters. They fired their long tentacles like arrows toward the choppers. But as if reading their trajectory, the helicopters immediately veered sideways. Someone jumped out from the side. It was Jeong Siyoung, who had returned from Busan the moment she heard the news of the cocoon’s story. 

Though the altitude was dizzyingly high, Jeong Siyoung’s face showed no fear. Her bare face, clearly visible for the first time in ages, bore only a fierce, resolute expression. Thud! Landing on the monster with the chicken head, the impact caused its massive body to stagger. She seized the moment, plunging the massive broadsword strapped to her back into its back.

-AAAAAAHHHH!

Surprisingly, the monster let out not a chicken’s crow, but a human scream so repulsive it was unbearable to hear. It flapped its wings, frantically trying to shake Jeong Siyoung off, but she didn’t budge an inch. Black fluid dripped from its back, splattering onto the ground below. Just then, the remaining five monsters attempted to ascend to a higher altitude.

“How dare these bastards try to escape!”

With a thunderous shout, a golden net shot out from another helicopter circling overhead. It wrapped around all five monsters at once, like a living creature. It was Seo Yakrin’s ability.

Seo Yakrin, who had been aboard the other helicopter, also jumped into the air. The monsters, their necks and wings tangled in ropes, flapped wildly, each struggling to break free. But the more they struggled, the tighter the ropes pulled. Seo Yakrin, effortlessly subduing the five massive flying creatures, greeted them cheerfully.

“Siyoung! Long time no see on a joint operation!”

“Yeah, it’s good to see your face… again!”

Jeong Siyoung, who had regained her smile for the first time in ages after purifying her corruption, replied while tearing the monster’s back to shreds. Below, people who had swiftly entered while the monsters were distracted by the aerial attack were taking action.

Mid-level awakeners, including Lee Chanha, each deployed their shields. A blue-hued barrier enveloped the crowd, still dazed and screaming as they thrashed about. Next, a thick layer of sleep gas settled within the shield. People staggered and fell one by one to the ground. Once the commotion had somewhat subsided, the main assault began.

Special Unit members aimed their anti-aircraft weapons – developed specifically to counter flying high-grade monsters – at the creature. Click-clack. With a crisp, synchronized mechanical sound, the tips of the massive harpoon launchers, each tipped with a finely honed eternal stone, simultaneously locked onto the monster. Each weapon consumed an enormous amount of resources. Soon, a decisive command rang out.

“Fire!”

Boom! Boom! Boom! The harpoons flew, piercing the monster’s body with the shock of exploding gunpowder. Then, the harpoon heads simultaneously spread open like umbrella ribs. It was an efficient yet vicious design, engineered to ensure the harpoons, once embedded, could not be pulled out. The monster thrashed, letting out a wretched scream. It wasn’t mere noise.

Hearing the brain-rattling screams, some members of the Special Unit fell into confusion. Worse still, they either let the harpoon lines unspool endlessly or even cut them entirely. Those with high resistance who avoided the confusion state swiftly kicked their comrades painfully in the shins.

“Snap out of it! What the hell are you doing?!”

Fortunately, the confusion was mild enough that the intense pain snapped them back to reality quickly. They had just escaped the awakening field. Fortunately, they wore suits that sealed them from head to toe; otherwise, the corruption pouring down like snow would have driven them mad instantly. Of course, these suits weren’t invincible either; they would eventually become contaminated over time, so there was no moment to waste.

“Pull them down to the ground! We must stop those monsters from flying any longer!”

The squad leader bellowed at the top of his lungs. Kiri-ri-rik! The mechanical force alone struggled to drag the monsters thrashing in midair down. Their upward thrust was brutally powerful, far beyond imagination. Seo Yakrin’s golden net pressed down from above while forces pulled them down from below.

The monsters that resisted were greedily swallowed by Yoon Seungryong’s poison. Their flapping movements grew sluggish, and gradually their altitude lowered.

The first to fall was the monster Jeong Siyoung was handling. With its wings severed, no matter how great its strength, it had no choice but to fall.

Boom…!

The chicken-headed monster plummeted downward, scattering a massive cloud of dust. Even though it was dealt with at the lowest possible altitude, the impact was so great it cracked a building and shattered a couple of defensive shields. Next, five monsters either crashed after struggling to hold on or gave up flying and landed on the ground. Even in that state, Lee Chanha’s shields held firm.

It was a silver lining that no citizens were out on the streets nearby, thanks to the monsters drawing them away. With the crowds gathered, protecting them was easy. As soon as the partially shattered shields were re-deployed, attacks surged toward the monsters lying on the ground.