BOOM… BOOM.
The thunderous sound of something colossal pushing off the ground echoed through the area. Those who lived near the frontlines might have mistaken it for cannons firing across the border due to its weighty and immense resonance. Every time it resounded, the ground trembled as though a minor earthquake had struck.
Following the source of the sound revealed a mansion casting a giant shadow over the land. At first glance, it wasn’t unusual for a large mansion to cast such a shadow, but things became strange when the shadow was cast below the mansion itself. Stranger still, massive limbs moved with every thunderous BOOM of footsteps.
The mansion, which literally sprouted limbs, looked like a fortress on the move. It withstood bombardments and regenerated effortlessly, living up to its fortress reputation. What’s more, none of those who entered it had returned, making it a fortress impenetrable enough to be called an iron bastion.
With or without visible weapons, the very act of thrusting its limbs against the earth and the sheer mass of the mansion functioned as weapons in their own right.
The mansion slowly shuffled forward, its bulk directed toward an unsuspecting human settlement. If it continued, it would surely cross the boundary drawn by humans and cause massive societal chaos. The inevitable loss of life would be immeasurable.
To stop this, humans stationed nearby had already begun their countermeasures.
“Three… two… one, fire!”
As an unnamed man gave the order, something launched at tremendous speed. In the blink of an eye, the projectile hit the mansion, causing an enormous explosion.
As the smoke cleared, the mansion that had been struck by the explosion was revealed. Just like when Lime had created an opening earlier, a gaping hole large enough to be seen from far away appeared.
For a moment, the mansion stopped its motion. However, just as the hole sealed itself after Lime had entered, this new void began to slowly but surely close as well. It was only a matter of time before the mansion resumed its movement.
A more fundamental solution seemed necessary, yet there wasn’t much they could do at the moment. A man observing the situation through binoculars clicked his tongue irritably.
“Target those leg-like appendages! We need to delay it as much as possible!”
“We’ll do our best, sir.”
“It’s not about trying; we have to succeed!”
Or else they’d all d*e.
The man suppressed the words that had risen to the back of his throat. The atmosphere was already tense enough since all communication had been lost with the group that entered earlier. Adding more despair to the situation would only make things worse.
Not that it needed further explanation—everyone already understood the gravity of the situation.
In any case, the situation was grim.
All those who had gone inside to stop the mansion from advancing hadn’t returned. Not only were they out of contact, but the abrupt loss of communication made it impossible to find a reason other than d*ath.
Before long, an alarming development occurred; the mansion, which until now had been crawling along like a snail, sprouted limbs.
Perhaps the physical damage had at least slowed it down somewhat—if opening a hole forced it to pause, then targeting what appeared to be its legs might give them more time.
The plan wasn’t bad, though the man secretly sighed inwardly, doubting whether it was truly meaningful. Thinking of the small, blue girl he’d glimpsed retreating after creating the hole, he reflected. Everyone knew who she was—the famous girl linked to the Singularity, capable of resolving anomalies like the one facing them.
However, doubts began to creep in. Could that small figure really resolve something so massive, especially since limbs began sprouting after she entered?
Maybe her actions had unintentionally transformed the slow-moving mansion into a quicker threat.
Could this small girl really take down something this large?
After all, rumors were prone to exaggeration.
The man didn’t believe the girl had solved everything on her own. He assumed, like when she helped them get inside, other agents must have assisted her.
Given the current chaos happening outside the mansion as they fought to stop it, his assumption didn’t seem far-fetched.
“Fire!”
Once more, something launched and struck one of the mansion’s limbs, which were presumed to be “legs.” The impact seemed to weaken them significantly, spraying a dark red liquid in every direction with a ghastly sound.
As the mansion wobbled and finally crashed to the ground with a deafening BOOM, the sight of the settling dust and trembling earth felt strangely positive.
“Did we take it down?” someone murmured unconsciously.
But perhaps that murmur served as a resurrection spell, because the damaged limb, having sprayed the crimson fluid, began to regenerate with a squelching sound. Once more, the mansion rose as though nothing had happened, its healed limb even thicker than before. Doubts resurfaced—would their efforts work this time?
With four limbs remaining, they had three more chances to stop the mansion. Hitting the core had halted it once, so they intended to use their remaining attempts wisely.
‘What are the odds of solving the problem before we exhaust all three chances?’
The man cast a glance toward an older man and a younger woman observing the mansion through binoculars from afar. Those who had brought the blue girl—would they have answers?
Yet, the tension visible on their faces suggested the situation wasn’t any clearer to them either. Shaking his head inwardly, the man adjusted his binoculars.
With no guarantees, they had no choice but to expend their resources to the fullest.
The man pushed aside the troubling visions of what would happen if they failed to stop the mansion, shifting his focus to strategizing the use of their remaining three attempts.
He could only hope that the small blue girl would destroy the monstrous mansion.
—
I felt nauseous.
The situation wasn’t just unusual—it was extreme. The periodic tremors that began gently but escalated into violent shaking made me feel like a d*e rattling inside a gambler’s cup.
Sticking to the walls became increasingly futile as the entire mansion itself convulsed, blurring my vision. Some of the weaker jelly-like creatures had been flung around like bouncing balls, finally giving up when they couldn’t withstand the force anymore.
Though they weren’t from my group like Great, Medium, and Sosik, it still felt strange. I wasn’t quite sure how many of the ones I brought in were still around—between the shaking and the chaos, they scattered like Dragon Balls.
“They’ll find their way back eventually.”
Pushing myself off the ground, I moved toward the source of the strongest pulsing. Finding the location was pure luck.
Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one affected by the relentless tremors. Each time a tremendous BOOM rang out, parts of the mansion collapsed and regenerated. If I were an ordinary human, I’d likely have been impaled or crushed by flying debris by now.
Still, these impacts caused sections of the mansion to repeatedly collapse and repair themselves. Through these openings, I spotted a place that was unmistakably special. Although it only became visible for a fleeting moment, it was enough for my bio-enhanced perception.
Once it was locked in my 360-degree awareness system, there was no escape.
I fervently hoped to find what I sought as I quickly paced toward the location, accompanied by the remaining jellies. The ongoing tremors outside were unsettling, but I had to stop this madness.
The debris surrounding me reminded me of furniture being destroyed, adding to the already peculiar feeling as I ran. Then, another massive tremor, much like the one earlier, struck.
This was the second time, according to my memory.
Were they helping me or hindering me?
Given that Hwang Bo-yul was present, I assumed they were assisting. But some kind of friend-or-foe recognition would be appreciated—how many jellies had been lost because of this?
Even with the abundance of jellies, each one mattered.
There was one thing that had attached itself weirdly to the pulsating source, squirming grotesquely before I tore it off with a tentacle. After being severed, it ceased moving.
The area, though damp, had become simply unpleasant. I wanted to finish this and go home.
Finally, amidst a relatively calm hum, I arrived at what I assumed was an important part of the mansion.
Standing before a firmly closed door, I grew increasingly annoyed.
With all my strength, I—
Kicked it wide open.
Like an Earth leader discovering oil for the first time.
