༺ Ice Throne (3) ༻
The sun was already rising as I lost myself in the mesmerizing display of fireworks created by a combination of missiles and shells.
The acrid smell coming from the explosions was getting stronger, and the flames of the exploding shells became less noticeable against the bright sun.
I was growing tired of the constant bombardment.
Since sightseeing was also a fun activity, I decided it was time to enter the Dobong-gu Wall.
The road leading to Dobong-gu was covered in snow.
Stepping on the untouched snow felt really good.
Hop-! Hop-!
I entered the wall, leaving footprints behind in pristine snow, untouched by anyone else.
Small footprints, completely unrelated to war, were left in my wake.
***
Dobong-gu, free from human presence for the last decade, felt strangely refreshing in its own way.
All the concrete debris was gone, thanks to the diligent ice soldiers tirelessly razing the buildings. Meanwhile, plants succumbed to the fierce cold and snowstorms.
These two factors combined to create an atmosphere in Dobong-gu reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic city ravaged by a harsh winter.
I also came across quite a few strange unfamiliar animals, though they were probably Objects rather than living animals.
Given the estimated temperature of around -100℃ at the heart of Dobong-gu, it seemed unlikely for any normal creatures to live in this place.
If the temperature of the area truly is close to -100℃, one would expect the surrounding environment and climate to be completely destroyed. Yet, the fact remains that everything remains intact, was this also because of the mysterious nature of the Object?
Even from the perspective of an Object, I wasn’t quite sure.
In fact, the phantom form ability also didn’t make any sense.
Honestly, the concept of the phantom form seemed as peculiar as the ability to stop time.
Even if this state allowed one to disregard physical forces, what about gravity? What about inertia?
Such questions bothered even someone like me, who isn’t an expert.
Surely, the scientists were working hard in their labs to uncover all the details.
***
Silence pervaded the transport vehicle as we made our way towards the Dobong-gu wall.
Looking around at my fellow employees inside the transport vehicle, I could see their anxiety etched on their faces.
It was inevitable—the more you know about an Object, the greater our fear would become.
After all, as anti-Object agents, we were the experts who understood the Objects best.
Addressing the other agents, I raised my voice,
“Everyone, snap out of it!”
At my loud shout, everyone inside the vehicle lifted their heads.
“The war with Dobong-gu has commenced.”
“This situation is far better than the simulated infiltrations we have practiced.”
“With the Ice Throne’s attack, most of its soldiers have been drawn out.”
“Moreover, the greatest threat we face—the extreme temperatures—Has spread to the surrounding area, causing a significant fall in the central region.”
“The ongoing artillery and missile attacks are nothing more than a decoy.”
“We are the main attackers in this operation.”
“If we adhere to our training regime, we will achieve our goal.”
“Remember, our failure is the nation’s failure. Stand proud, you are strong.”
“If you feel burdened, have faith. Have faith on the data on Objects that humanity has accumulated thus far and the training we have done.”
“We will destroy the Ice Throne and return triumphant!”
I closed my eyes, as I listened to the resolute responses of the agents.
There was not much time left until the operation began.
***
I trod forward, using the Ice Throne in the distance as a guidepost.
The massive throne, standing at a towering height of twenty meters, was easily visible from afar.
It was actually not high enough to be visible from afar. However, the surrounding buildings had been razed by the ice soldiers, giving the throne an unobstructed view.
As I made my way towards the throne, I stumbled upon an interesting expanse.
The expanse, which appeared as I walked straight toward the throne, resembled a baseball stadium.
It was a circular, flat snowfield adorned with animals transformed into ice sculpture.
Surrounding this expanse were mirrors resembling broken glass.
These mirrors reflected the snowy field within them, it was just an ordinary snowy field.
Except for one thing.
A Village Guardian1A jangseung (Korean: 장승) or village guardian is a Korean totem pole usually made of wood. Jangseungs were traditionally placed at the edges of villages to mark village boundaries and frighten away demons. They were also worshipped as village tutelary deities..
A huge korean totem pole, towering at a height of five meters, appeared within the mirror.
However, there was no physical totem pole present anywhere in the expanse.
This totem pole had an eerie ambience reminiscent of a horror movie—it would turn its head to track any movement.
Whenever something even so much as stirred, it would swivel its head, and if the target was a living being, shoot a freezing beam to freeze it.
Strangely, though it reacted to rocks and small animals, it didn’t react to me at all.
Even as I ran or walked slowly through the snowy field, it remained utterly indifferent.
In fact, it seemed to be avoiding me.
Even when I brought my face close to where I thought the totem’s face was, it still did not look at me.
You are just gonna play by yourself and ignore me, huh?
I clenched my teeth and tried to destroy the totem pole who was bullying me. No matter how much attention it gave me afterward, I wouldn’t forgive its insolence!
However, the moment I saw its killing conditions, my motivation disappeared in an instant.
Even at a glance, the condition seemed very time-consuming and cumbersome.
It was an annoying condition that could take several days if I was unlucky, so I decided to just ignore the totem pole and continue on my way.
***
Our swift progress came to an abrupt halt as we fell victim to an unexpected ambush.
Out of nowhere, a beam struck one of my agents.
“!”
Within moments, his life came to an end as his face froze solid.
I gritted my teeth in frustration.
Each and every agent I had brought here represented the future of Korea.
Their lives were too valuable to be lost in vain in a place like this.
I threw a beacon towards the area where the attack came from and alerted the agents.
“Attention, everyone! It appears that the enemy only attacks after identifying their target. Take cover! The exact source of the attack is approximately 5 meters ahead of the beacon!”
By keeping themselves hidden, they could avoid being hit by the beam.
The agents sprinted from one cover to another, making their way toward the location of the hostile entity.
We arrived at a circular snow field littered with numerous mirrors.
“Everyone, look in the mirrors! The Object is a totem pole. It looks like it’s shooting the beams from its eyes!”
To fight against an Object, one must observe it.
If they didn’t, they would end up dead.
Within a snowy field, amidst the reflections in the mirrors, stood an unidentified totem pole.
The movement of its head wasn’t that fast, but it also wasn’t slow enough for them to safely break through the snowy field without cover.
Boom-!
Following the established protocol for Object encounters, the agents threw a few grenades to check whether the totem pole and the mirror could be destroyed.
Unfortunately, the totem pole remained unaffected.
The Object seemed to be incorporeal.
However, the explosion shattered the mirrors, Only for them to regenerate instantly.
In other words, physical attacks were useless against this Object.
My head hurts.
Should we consider taking a detour?
Doing so would cost us precious time.
Furthermore, there was no guarantee that other routes would be free of Objects.
Should I have sent a request to the yellow detective to join me?
How ironic that I am thinking about him now that I need him. Since he was the type of person who relied too much on his intuition, I had thought he wouldn’t be suitable for this mission.
However, considering his intuition was as sharp as an Object’s, he might have come in handy when making illogical choices, such as choosing a route. He was a top-class personnel in those areas.
Even after pondering for a while, I still couldn’t come up with any other way to deal with the Object before us.
If we couldn’t even handle these Objects, how could we dare to face the Ice Throne that lay beyond?
So I focused my thoughts. When dealing with Objects, observation was key.
There had to be a clue, a hint.
Objects arranged in a particular pattern often required a puzzle-like solution.
In the center of the empty field stood the incorporeal totem pole.
On top of that, there were a bunch of mirrors that reflect the area around it.
Surrounding it were shattered mirrors, resembling broken shards of glass, making it impossible to see the entire appearance of the totem pole.
Taking cover, I spun around to examine the totem pole reflected in the mirrors.
There had to be a reason for the placement of the mirrors.
***
The sound of heavy breathing filled the air, laced with pain.
“Huff… Huff… Ouch…”
Yet another agent fell victim to the beam.
My colleague, who was writhing and screaming beside me… had no chances of surviving.
The beam had only struck his leg, but the frozen leg quickly spread the icy grip throughout his body, extinguishing his life within minutes.
Once again, in this field devoid of cover, we lost yet another agent.
However, their sacrifice did not go in vain; it revealed a vital piece of information.
There was only one location where the entirety of the Korean totem pole could be seen—
The place where the broken mirrors were gathered together.
But even after looking at the entirety of the totem, nothing changed. We were no closer to a solution.
Three agents had already fallen victim to the Object in order to find this place.
It had to be resolved before any more damage could be inflicted.
Time was running out and we needed a minimum of five people to move the bomb and destroy the Ice Throne.
Mirrors, totem pole, and reflections.
That’s right, the mirror.
As I examined the mirrors, something caught my attention.
There were several mirrors that didn’t reflect the totem pole at all.
I didn’t even think there were mirrors like that!
It seemed clear that those empty mirrors held the key.
***
I was in awe as the gigantic throne came into view.
The colossal Ice Throne, towering twenty meters high, was being carried like a palanquin by four ice soldiers of equal size.
It felt incredibly powerful, as though the mere creation of a road would compel the soldiers to rise up, hoist the massive palanquins, and march straight down its length.
Yet, for now, it remained stationary, showcasing its sheer massiveness.
I had come to destroy the Ice Throne and liberate Dobong-gu, but I faced a dilemma once again.
No, It wasn’t because the killing condition was difficult.
Rather, it was because it was too easy.
It could be destroyed with just a random rock, right at this moment.
Hah, to think that the Ice Throne isn’t even an ‘Object’…
So, what is the Object I have to deal with?
Could it be the totem pole that I encountered earlier?
Its killing conditions seemed difficult.
Wasn’t it [Reflect the entirety of the Village Guardian in a single mirror.]?
Do I really have to return all the way back to the totem pole?
