༺ Ice Throne (4) ༻
While I debated whether or not to destroy the Village Guardian, all of a sudden the sky was illuminated with a purple light.
A mysterious moon, glowing in shades of purple, rose above the Ice Throne.
If the only peculiar thing about the moon was its unusual color, I would have just shrugged it away. However, the moonlight didn’t cast any shadows either.
Even the ground covered by a stone was showered by the ethereal moonlight.
Light even pervaded areas where only shadows should have been present.
The ambiance was, both eerie and surreal at the same time.
Since the light was also a vivid shade of purple, it only added to the sensation of being transported into a glitchy computer game, with a faulty graphic card.
Yet, it wasn’t as if there were no shadows at all. There were a few shadows scattered around, like stains.
When I looked up at the sky, the shadows were patterns of the purple moon.
In the first place, the light was shot sporadically, hence creating shadows.
Finding the shadows interesting, I rushed towards one, hoping to touch it. However, the shadows kept avoiding me, constantly putting some distance between us.
Both the Village Guardian from earlier and this shadow showed the same behavior.
Had I done something wrong?
I continued to try to step on the shadow, yet just like before it kept slipping away, refusing to be caught.
The chase continued until sunrise.
All that remained thereafter was a snowy field, etched with my footprints.
***
I gasped for breath, my eyes fixed upon a broken totem pole lying in the center of the expanse,
It had been destroyed.
We managed to solve the problem by gathering all the mirrors that did not reflect the body of the totem pole, combining it to make a massive mirror. We then reflected the totem pole, which was itself reflected in the mirror, back into reality.
The incorporeal totem was destroyed once its real body manifested in reality.
Hahaha, finally!
But it was too little, too late.
The sun had set darkness enveloping the area.
Nights in Dobong-gu were treacherous.
It was all because of an Object known as the ‘Moon of the Snowfield.’
The purple moon, which radiated its eerie glow, was an Object that appeared whenever night descended upon a ‘snowfield’ anywhere on Earth.
Even under the cover of a building, the purple light couldn’t be avoided.
As a result, places with ‘snowfields’ around the world were deemed uninhabitable for humans.
However, the exact conditions for a ‘snowfield’ to trigger the presence of the ‘Moon of the Snowfield’ remained unknown.
There were cases where the moon appeared in areas without snowfields, while it didn’t appear in polar regions that clearly had snowfields.
Understanding the Object required direct observation in the affected area.
What was certain was that the ‘Moon of the Snowfield’ always rose in Dobong-gu, which was blanketed in snow.
Fortunately, the purple light that could penetrate even closed eyelids, posed no immediate threat to life. At most it would cause insomnia.
Rather, the true danger lay in the shadows that accompanied the purple light.
“The moon is rising! Gather ‘round!”
We quickly formed a circle in an open space, facing each other.
Iron stakes were driven into the ground to anchor our bodies in place.
In the center of the gathering, a totem-like device was installed.
Although the device—imported from the United States—could ward off mental interference from the Object, it was ultimately a temporary solution.
Nevertheless, the fact that they were able to make this kind of device was remarkable.
After all, Korea couldn’t even figure out what the Object was.
The shadow created by the Moon of the Snowfield was a bottomless pit.
Anyone who stepped on it would fall and disappear into the abyss.
Where these unfortunate people disappeared to remained a mystery.
Thankfully, the shadow did not move or attack; it just attracted people.
To draw an analogy, people felt a sensation similar to wanting to fix mismatched tiles.
As people looked at the bottomless pit of a shadow, it increasingly felt like a hole that would fit them perfectly.
An urge would arise within them, making them want to fill it with their own bodies.
Only a select few people could resist that urge without the aid of the device.
And so, the night stretched on.
I hoped fervently that we would be able to go through the night safely.
However, not long after, I sensed the restlessness among the agents around me.
Even though their bodies were secured with iron stakes, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t break free if they decided to run out.
I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes.
Yet, even with my eyes shut tight, I could still see the purple light and the shadows.
Even in the darkness behind my eyelids, I could just imagine the perfect hole beckoning to me.
A hole… just like the one in front of me.
A hole in the world, painted in the shades of purple.
If only that hole could be filled.
‘Why does such a hole exist?’
One by one, I swiftly removed the pins from the iron stake and rose to my feet.
‘The hole in front of me must be filled.’
‘Yes, it’s a hole that only I can fill.’
A part of me knew that it was all a figment of my imagination.
But I couldn’t bear it. I simply couldn’t bear it.
Slowly, I approached the hole and stood at its edge.
‘Yes, this is the hole! A hole that fits me perfectly.’
As I traced the edge of the hole with a gentle touch, the purple light that had filled the world disappeared. In its place, I saw the rising sun in the distance.
Startled, I quickly took my hand off the ground.
I had survived by the skin of my teeth.
During the night, five agents had disappeared without a trace.
Thankfully, the losses were not severe enough to call this mission a failure.
The operation to destroy the throne hadn’t failed just yet.
***
As I lay atop the pile of debris, exhausted after playing tag with the shadows, the warmth of the morning sun caressed my skin.
Suddenly, I heard a commotion from below. Looking down, I noticed a gathering near the throne.
Wait, wasn’t it -100℃ near the throne? Or was it another area that was -100℃?
The people down there looked like they had barely gotten any sleep.
Yet, even in such a state, they were busy setting up something around the throne.
It was an Object, Resembling a bomb at first glance.
Though, I must admit, the bomb looked like it was haphazardly created with a bunch of dynamite.
Did they decide to use an Object since they couldn’t destroy the throne with missiles?
But alas, their efforts were in vain, for the throne was not an Object in the first place.
I watched their vain efforts with curiosity.
It seemed like at least one of them was looking towards where I was.
But perhaps because they were too busy planting the bomb, no one managed to discover me.
Rumble-!!
Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath me.
Looking back, I saw a tsunami emerging from the ground.
Buildings crumbled under the force of the waves, the ground rolling up into a circle.
Debris, reduced to dust, became part of the surging waves, pushing the debris forward.
It was a colossal tsunami made of dust and debris.
Anything that touched it disintegrated into powder, scattered.
The last remnants of the city, concrete, and asphalt, all reduced to mere particles, carried away by the currents.
The man-made Object bomb suffered the same fate, disintegrating into nothingness.
No!!!!
The anguished cry of a man echoed throughout Dobong-gu.
***
“No!!!!!!!”
I screamed as I watched the Object bomb dissipate into dust.
I reached out desperately, trying to grasp the scattered remnants, but the already destroyed bomb didn’t return.
We had come so far, sacrificing several agents to reach the throne, why is this happening now!
A cloud of dust engulfed the surroundings, casting a murky darkness upon us.
The ice soldiers who were carrying the throne also turned to dust, making the throne fall.
Alongside the remaining agents, I found myself rolling on the ground from the enormous shock wave and wind pressure.
As I lay there, I looked up and was immediately captivated by a glowing yellow light.
It pierced through the cloud of ash and dust blocking the sun.
“The… Grey Reaper!”
It stood high up, looking down upon us with a mocking expression.
Did the Grey Reaper have this kind of ability?
Not only did the Object bomb crumble, but the same happened to the electronic devices and firearms that we equipped also turned into powder and disappeared.
It seemed identical to the phenomenon that occurred in Seoul Forest.
But this place was far enough from the Seoul Forest.
The unusual incident consisting of the sudden appearance of the Gray Reaper and a phenomenon that appeared to be the work of the Steel Tower, was a serious matter that must be reported.
However, with all of our communication equipment destroyed by the shockwave, we had no choice but to return in person to deliver the report.
I had to return with as many agents as possible .
“The operation is a failure. Let’s fall back.”
We withdrew cautiously, keeping a watchful eye on the Grey Reaper.
Frustration and anger simmered within me, but there was no other choice but to swallow them for now and go back.
***
The pulsations from earlier felt familiar.
Yes, they reminded me of the Steel Tower.
Or rather, its power to transform civilization.
But the territory of the Steel Tower had already been stabilized, so what’s going on?
This was the first time I saw the ground pulsating like that in the Steel Tower’s territory.
It was like a tsunami of dust, causing buildings and asphalt to curl, crumble and ripple in a mesmerizing display.
What caught my interest was that even the ice soldiers were torn apart by the dust tsunami.
Did the Steel Tower view the ice soldiers as part of civilization too?
After a few minutes, the pulsations ended, leaving Dobong-gu in an even more miserable state.
However, even after the tsunami had passed, a strange structure still remained in Dobong-gu.
It was a massive hole, resembling an oversized anthill.
And for some reason, I had a feeling.
The owner of the Ice Throne must be down there.
***
Seoul was facing an immense crisis.
Was the temperature drop caused by Dobong-gu to blame?
Thankfully, the temperature drop didn’t even affect the entirety of Seoul.
Although some nearby areas experienced a sharp decrease in temperature, it soon returned to normal.
As for the attack of the Ice Throne’s soldiers?
The military was actively working to suppress it.
But the issue that sent Seoul into a state of panic was something else entirely.
‘Expansion of Seoul Forest’
It was observed that, slowly but surely, the boundaries of Seoul Forest were expanding.
It pulsed like a beating heart, gradually expanding its reach.
The area of the Steel Tower would momentarily increase and then decrease repeatedly, like a pulse wave.
However, any place that even momentarily entered that domain crumbled into dust as if civilization itself disintegrated. As such, the resulting outcome was no different from it expanding in an instant.
Korea had been diligently preparing to fight against the Ice Throne in Dobong-gu, but when it came to the Steel Tower, we were utterly powerless.
There was simply no way to fight back.
