Chapter 110

Five minutes before the incident occurred.

Irene returned to an empty house. Being high above ground, it was especially quiet.

She had come back to grab a few necessary items, completely unaware of what was about to happen to her just a few minutes later.

Of course, the troubles bothering her were already more than enough. After escaping from the dungeon for three days, her accounts began freezing one after another, starting with one card.

-My account is frozen? What does that even mean?

-Yes, sir. Currently, your account is under investigation for suspected illegal activity and has been temporarily suspended. Please contact the relevant authorities for more details.

-Wait a second! What the hell…

After checking various sources, she found herself embroiled in ridiculous accusations.

Illegal drug trafficking, financial fraud, stock manipulation.

She tried to reach out to the clan’s lawyers or relatives for help, but everyone just promised to assist her without any actual response.

‘What on earth is going on here?’

In just a few days, her economic standing was wiped clean. It seemed like someone had maliciously orchestrated everything, and in the blink of an eye, Irene found herself broke after only a few days out of the dungeon.

‘At least I still have my home. Let’s stay calm and assess the situation.’

The moment she opened the penthouse door, a sense of déjà vu washed over her. The suspicious air lingering inside heightened her nerves. The arrangement of shoes in the entryway was messy, as if someone had already come inside.

Irene’s golden eyes carefully examined her home.

Her keen senses could pick up on the slightest dissonance. Drawers were slightly ajar, and closed doors were all wide open. Everything in the house was ever so slightly out of place.

It looked as if something had been rummaged through and haphazardly put back. She cautiously glanced around.

‘That’s not at all how the cleaning lady operates.’

The cleaner, though old, was meticulous. She simply wouldn’t arrange books or picture frames in such a sloppy manner.

‘A thief? But how did they get in?’

Aside from the cleaner who visited once a week, her home was a completely isolated space. No one would approach her cozy fortress on the 60th floor, which effectively blocked out external noise. It was only the second time she had guests since Violet had come over after starting school.

She thought to herself. If an intruder entered from the outside, what could their goal have been?

It was far too meticulous for mere theft for profit. There was no need to spend so much time moving her belongings.

Her mother’s room was empty. There was nothing of value in her own room. Important documents would be in the clan’s building.

No, one by one, she eliminated suspicions by process of elimination and realized there was still one important place left in the house.

‘Let’s check Dad’s room.’

The door leading to her father, Orion’s, room appeared to be locked.

As she turned the doorknob, the door that should have been locked swung open.

Irene’s heart began racing slowly.

Inside was a mess. The desk and library were in disarray. She sensed that something dangerous was happening. It was darker, and an odd smell lingered.

A shocked Irene stepped into the living room and picked up her phone. It felt like the time it took to connect to her father’s secretary was longer than usual today.

“Mr. Kress! Please pick up quickly!”

At that moment, Irene felt the gaze of someone watching her. Turning her head, she caught sight of an object floating behind the living room’s glass window. It was a drone.

Several drones were watching inside her house. They circled around like eagles waiting for a beast to die.

In her confusion, Irene turned away and finally noticed the suspicious object resting on the kitchen dining table. A large gift box decorated with colorful wrapping paper and ribbons. For some reason, the sight of the gift box reminded her of her friend—an unpredictable blonde girl.

After drawing the spear strapped to her back, she didn’t approach but cut the ribbon from a distance with precise skill.

Inside revealed a black metallic object. Irene’s eyes widened.

Compared to the items Violet often used during their dungeon explorations, it was like the difference between a flea market’s secondhand basket and a luxury handbag.

‘I need to escape!’

The moment she turned her body, she heard the sound of the entrance door’s locking mechanism clicking shut automatically. It was an instinctive feeling. There were no options left.

Irene quickly activated her entire magical power. Before the light of the sun enveloped her completely, she gripped her spear and sprinted toward the window.

-KABOOM!

As she broke through the reinforced glass with elegant swiftness, a tremendous explosion reverberated from behind her. Without hesitation, she leaped toward the ground 60 floors below.

‘Our home…!’

As she twisted her body in mid-air, flames erupted from the spot where she had just stood. Battling the fierce wind, she began her descent.

Irene knew that no matter how strong she was, protected by her full magical power and unique ability, falling from this height would hurt quite a bit.

In an instant, Irene decided to take a risk. While falling, she thrust her spear forcefully at the building’s exterior.

“Ugh!”

The recoil in her arm was beyond imagination. She almost lost her grip on the spear.

The spear imbued with magical energy pierced through the wall and window like cutting butter. The sound of the vertically split wall crumbling and the glass shattering echoed in her ears. She grunted, hanging onto her spear.

Thankfully, the friction reduced her falling speed, turning a deadly drop into a manageable fall. Soon, she could see the ground rushing up to her. Irene braced herself, curling her body to prepare for the landing.

-KWAH!

“Oof… my body…”

In front of the building, she barely managed to stand up from the broken ground. Passersby stopped and stared at her in shock. Her body ached, but there didn’t seem to be any visible injuries. Had she succeeded? She thought she needed a moment to rest.

Unfortunately, the orchestrators of the incident had no intentions of letting her rest.

-TATATATATANG!

“Ugh! What the hell?”

Before she could regain her bearings, a shock jolted her head. Bullets clashed with her golden magical power and sparks flew.

No sooner had she drawn her spear, a squad of armed vehicles encircled her, led by three all-terrain tactical vehicles. With a deafening roar, the cars screeched to a halt. The machine guns mounted on their roofs turned their barrels toward her.

-TATATATATANG!

Just as she crouched down from the sudden gunfire, mercenaries clad in exoskeleton suits swiftly disembarked. As Irene was about to assess the situation and charge, a bullet flew into her chest. She fell as the explosion rocked her.

“Fire everything! The target is a professional hunter. Don’t give her any openings!”

As she lifted her head, mercenaries armed with heavy weapons stood before her. Bulky grenade launchers reminiscent of powerful revolvers unleashed a merciless barrage of fire.

The golden spear soared through the air, deflecting the grenades, but the onslaught of sharp shrapnel clawed at her. Finding a moment, she barely dodged a grenade and took cover behind a nearby pillar. The barrage continued relentlessly. With a sizzling sound, a rocket flew by her.

“It’s terrorism! Aaaah!”

“Where’s the police!”

“Call the Inspection Bureau! Call the Inspection Bureau!”

In an instant, the street had turned into a battlefield, and people began to flee.

‘Clan… Request for help!’

She quickly took out her phone and dialed the designated number. It was the emergency contact number provided by the Helios Clan. The lifeline to use in dire situations, if she could hold out, an armed escort would arrive by helicopter within 5 minutes.

And for the first time in her life, Irene felt a profound sense of despair.

[The signal is not connecting···]

‘Why not? The signal should be fine!’

Just as she was about to make a call again, her phone, struck by shrapnel, powered off. Clenching her teeth, she instantly regained her focus.

‘For reasons unknown, it seems there’s nothing to be done. I need to escape by my power!’

After a moment, the barrage finally subsided.

Irene assessed the situation.

What was the enemy’s force? Three modified vehicles with machine guns, around two squads of infantry, armed in exoskeleton suits, with multiple heavy weapons. Seven hunters! What about the large truck in the back? Was it their transport?

Her own arsenal consisted of a spear, a multifunctional tool hidden in her pocket, and a short sword on her left. Still, she could manage. No, she had to make it through.

Irene quickly darted out from behind the pillar.

Avoiding the rain of bullets and grenades, she deflected some with her spear and blocked others with a body shield. As she charged, the mercenaries fell back.

If they were merely the Non-Awakened, she could get away!

“Where are you rushing off to?”

Just as she attempted to break through the encirclement, seven Awakened soldiers burst through the ranks of Non-Awakened. The man in front swung a massive mace, and she grit her teeth and stepped back.

“You… who are you!”

“That’s not for you to know, little lady!”

The Awakened unleashed a flurry of attacks. She activated her unique ability once more, but the barrage from all directions made it hard for her to hold her ground.

Suddenly, magical chains and rocks shot up from the ground, ensnaring her legs.

“A mage…?”

“Well, something like that. Again!”

She resisted fiercely, trusting her durability. For a split second, the hunters pulled back. Relieved mercenaries stepped up with their weapons reloaded and unleashed a relentless barrage. The Ether Protection on her skin was continuously draining her magical power.

“Get out of the way!”

With the heavy fire continuing, the hunters rushed back in. Amidst the pain of battle, Irene’s mind suddenly snapped clear.

‘This is… our clan’s tactic!’

She finally realized that the unknown enemy was using the “Whale Hunting Tactic” against her.

It was an effective method employed when a heavily armed group of Non-Awakened faced a single target with a smaller number of Awakened in support. As regulars poured concentrated fire to halt the target and create chaos, a hunting squad formed of Awakened would swoop in to take down the weakened target.

It wasn’t an original tactic. Organizations with mixed forces of Non-Awakened and Awakened often used similar strategies.

However, Helios’s Whale Hunting Tactic was particularly aggressive, designed to minimize gaps between attacks by throwing in OSA—it’s a self-sacrificial approach.

The attacks were systematic and intense.

‘If this is the Whale Hunting Tactic, this isn’t the end! There will definitely be a…!’

With a cutlass swirling toward her from the left, she swatted it away with her hand. Just as the mace aimed at her head swung overhead, she barely blocked it with her spear. Her hand was injured, but it didn’t matter.

Just then, amid the fierce exchange of blows, Irene’s gaze caught something strange. On the distant roof of a vehicle, large equipment was positioned.

‘Sure enough, it’s a magical harpoon launcher!’

“Fire!”

Just as the hunters suddenly backed away, the massive machine shot forth magical harpoons. Golden magical energy soared to meet it.

“What the heck! Did we just deflect it?”

“Who would have thought the daughter of a spear-wielding family could do that!”

The shockwave swept across the surroundings. The hunters and mercenaries were thrown into disarray. The immense golden arrows advanced without hesitation, cutting through the rain of bullets and explosives.

‘I can get away, no— I can win!’

Even with her injuries, Irene charged towards the enemy with a clearer mind.

*

Meanwhile, just outside the penthouse in the Central District, an unbelievable battle was unfolding. Inside a luxuriously decorated room, several individuals sat on a red sofa around a monitor.

In the central armchair sat a man with sharp golden eyes, staring intently at the screen, while his wife sipped tea beside him.

Alongside them, three or four more individuals sat, with a number of others standing to watch.

“Look at that, isn’t it amazing?”

Rigel spoke with a mix of awe and irritation. Irene’s outfit on screen was tattered amidst crossfire, but she was still holding on.

“Must be from that bloodline; she’s resilient. Surviving even in that firestorm.”

Rigel thought of his half-dead brother in the VIP ward. Irene reminded him of Orion in his prime.

His wife replied,

“But, dear, she’s at her limit now. What does it matter if she’s tough? Her daddy ended up hospitalized himself. No matter how she runs, she’ll eventually get caught.”

“That’s true. It’s just a little girl.”

A subordinate nearby whispered to Rigel, and his eyes brightened.

“Looks like our poor little girl sent out a distress signal.”

“That’s not operational anymore, is it?”

“Right. She had no idea; she hasn’t used it in ages.”

Those around chuckled lightly.

Now, Irene was fighting alone with her spear.

Rigel and his relatives felt the irony. The tactic her father created to eliminate villains was now being used to capture his daughter.

The violet-haired woman, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up.

“Didn’t you forget the contract? It would be problematic if she dies. She needs to be handed over to Magnavis alive.”

As she spoke seriously, Rigel chuckled.

“Come on, my dear in-law. Would I forget something like that? We’re talking about the four major clans here. We’ve even prepared capture equipment, so don’t worry.”

The woman fell silent again, and the group’s gaze returned to the screen.

All the people in the room were calculating how shares would be divided concerning the clan’s future leadership and their nephew’s portion, regardless of Irene’s life or death.

As Irene bravely continued to fight the mercenaries, some relatives grew concerned.

“She’s lasting longer than expected. What if she manages to escape?”

“I told you, it’s not the time to be causing a ruckus in the middle of the city! The police don’t matter, but the Inspection Bureau will be coming!”

Rigel answered the foolish relatives’ anxiety with a cool smile.

“Now, everyone, have some patience. Are the Inspection Bureau pigs that scary? And Magnavis provided us with a special secret weapon. Now, just watch.”

At that moment, the screen switched. The cargo hold of a large truck hidden behind the encirclement opened up. The reality of the secret weapon Rigel spoke of was revealed.

It was a gigantic humanoid machine with an intricate design. Someone recalled the infamous elite unit of Magnavis.

“Could it be the Magnavis Vanguard?”

“The elite unit of mages? That can’t be! They just look similar. It’s a product under research. Just watch!”

This machine, moving with deadly precision, resembled a robot but moved just like a human. The amalgamation of Ether engineering, biotechnology, and robotics had entered the fray.

And the battle situation on the screen shifted in an instant. Irene, who had been holding her ground against seven hunters, was slammed inside the building with a single blow.

From another angle provided by the drone, she was seen tossing away her broken spear and drawing a short sword.

Rigel marveled.

“I was right to ally with Magnavis. When we take the clan, we’ll need to introduce that first.”

As Irene fought fiercely against the combat machines, the people in the room were enveloped in victory’s heat. They didn’t care what happened to the girl on screen.

One of the group opened a bottle of champagne and proposed an early toast to their imminent triumph.

“Let’s raise a glass!”

Rigel accepted the glass while smiling.

“Sure. For the future of the clan!”

“For a better Helios!”

While Irene struggled against the ruthless machines, some cheered, filled with hope and desire for a future gained by betraying their own kin.

“For prosperity…?”

Suddenly, Rigel’s face went pale as he concentrated on the screen.

The combat machine he was battling with Irene was engulfed in an explosion.

Screens that had been floating around began shaking violently, as if caught in a storm, and one by one, they turned black.

Rigel hastily grabbed the radio handed to him by a subordinate. He cursed loudly.

“What the hell is that? Explain it again!”

[Unknown enemies… ambush… Aaaah!]

As the drones broadcasting the scene disappeared, Rigel felt a sense of despair. He stopped cursing and turned up the volume.

Soon, he regretted his action.

[AOS-1 at headquarters! Unidentified combat units sighted! Size… at least a company! No! It’s exploding! Get away!]

As the unexpected report echoed on the wireless, the people in the room began to stir.

[This is AOS-2, Team 05! All personnel have been eliminated…!]

Rigel barked an order.

“Get a grip! Who is the enemy? Report accurately!”

[It’s… an army! All Awakens!]

The eyes of the people widened like lanterns. An army of Awakens at the company level? What on earth did that mean?

The last transmission was even more horrifying.

[‘The princess’ is escaping! Repeat! ‘The princess’ is escaping!]

[No! She’s going to self-destruct! Don’t come near!]

Silence followed the dying words. The atmosphere in the once lively room turned to that of a funeral.

“Damn it!”

Furious, Rigel threw his champagne glass.

The plan had failed.