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In the distance, buildings were collapsing again.

The structures that met the pulsation of the Steel Tower broke like twigs and scattered like sand.

Seeing the area of the Steel Tower pulse and expand and contract was an unprecedented sight.

Since the first place I opened my eyes as an object was Seoul Forest, I could consider myself somewhat of a Steel Tower expert, yet this was a strange phenomenon.

It seemed like the output that was overturning civilization had increased.

If before it felt like civilization was being crushed in a mortar, now it seemed like it was being blended in a mixer.

What on earth is happening to the Steel Tower?

I felt a spark when I touched the area near my chest.

A warmth was calmly rising beneath my soft skin.

Pretty unexpectedly, frogs were weak, and there was still plenty of firewood.

With this amount of firewood, it seemed I could wander around Seoul Forest for a few days without issue.

The Steel Tower was in Pyongyang, so I had to move quickly.

If I finish up fast, I can rest sooner.

*

Every step I took transformed the surroundings.

Like a teleportation technique.

In ghosting mode, the laws of physics felt a bit more lenient.

With one step, it felt like I was walking ten.

Initially, it was difficult to control, and I had once crawled on all fours in ghosting mode.

Now, I could glide as if riding on a super-speed moving walkway.

As a rare dense forest appeared, I released the ghosting and set my feet on the ground.

It was an unpleasant forest, no matter how many times I visited.

When I first fell into Seoul Forest, I had no reason to dislike it, but lately, I felt like I was beginning to understand why.

It seemed I felt uneasy because there were no people around.

Indeed, having a few people nearby and getting some attention felt much better.

Although Seoul Forest is considered one of the most dangerous areas on Earth, it feels a bit overrated due to its ability to destroy civilization.

In fact, there were hardly any objects deep within Seoul Forest actively trying to kill humans.

Those murderous monsters that wanted to kill people had no reason to hang around a hard-to-find place like Seoul Forest.

Of course, just because they didn’t want to kill me didn’t mean they were harmless.

And there were indeed not no murderous monsters.

While I was contemplating such thoughts and walking toward the Steel Tower, a bizarre roar echoed throughout Seoul Forest.

A stifled, heavy roar as a massive creature ran wildly, smashing down trees.

The ground trembled under its heavy steps, and white flesh was scattered all around.

Among the flesh, small parasite-like worms squirmed.

It was the “Ghost Catcher,” frequently seen near the Steel Tower.

Of course, I had whimsically named it “Ghost Catcher.”

Back when I was human, I had never heard tales of such white, flesh-like monsters.

The Ghost Catcher had a hideous appearance and size that looked like a murderous monster, but it probably wasn’t one.

That’s because the “Ghost Catcher” could only see ghosts.

When entering Seoul Forest, it was because of those monsters that I had to release my ghosting.

Of course, it wasn’t because they were strong like a hungry ghost or hard to kill objects.

I was avoiding them because they were grotesque.

Their appearance was detrimental to my mental health, so I wanted to avoid seeing them as much as possible.

The Ghost Catcher feasts on ghostly objects, hunting by tossing its own flesh.

I never, ever wanted to be hit by its slimy, worm-like flesh.

After passing the forest where those white monstrosities frolicked, I spotted a wide open lot behind it.

In the center of that open lot was my target.

The first object hit by a nuke, humanity’s hard counter.

The Steel Tower.

*

In the bustling commercial district of Gangbuk-gu, even during evening hours, the streets were deserted.

The large electronics store’s glass windows along the street had been shattered terribly by strong winds.

Amidst the wreckage of displayed items blown around by the wind, the TV on display was still powered on.

The TV was broadcasting breaking news about the current situation at Seoul Forest.

The content could be summarized in a few key points.

It conveyed the pulsation cycle of the Steel Tower and the expected range of the next pulsation, urging people in the area to evacuate.

Currently, the territory of the Steel Tower had already encroached beyond the boundaries of Seoul, and it was highly likely that the next pulsation would affect areas like Gangbuk-gu, Dobong-gu, and Nowon-gu.

The electronics store located in Gangbuk-gu had already issued a state of emergency evacuation warning.

In Seoul, filled with concrete buildings, being caught in the pulsation would make survival difficult, so most people had evacuated.

Amidst the grim news about the unstoppable expansion of the Steel Tower and the uncertain evacuations, a sudden piece of good news was delivered.

It was about the hidden heroes’ activities.

About the special operations team that had repeated rigorous training for a solid ten years for a single purpose.

It was the story of those who were silently striving to reclaim Dobong-gu.

Despite being overshadowed due to the Steel Tower crisis, it was about the warriors who had gifted complete silence to the Ice Soldiers.

The temperature in Dobong-gu was dramatically rising, and it was confirmed that the remaining Ice Throne in Dobong-gu was increasingly melting and partially destroyed.

Unfortunately, the return of the special operations team dispatched to destroy the Ice Throne had not been confirmed.

If it weren’t for the pulsation of the Steel Tower, they probably would have flooded the skies with drones to conduct search operations, but now, no matter how many drones were flown, one pulsation would turn them all into dust, leaving the search efforts stagnated.

However, sending a search team composed of humans was also hindered by the fact that many dangerous objects still existed in Dobong-gu.

The announcer smiled as they spoke.

“[We hope our heroes return safely.]”

That hopeful remark was drowned out by the sound of rumbling ground.

Thump.

Like the sound of a heartbeat, the earth’s rumble replaced the streets, buildings, electronics store, and TV as the broadcast ended.

*

Chew, chew.

The sound of flesh being chewed echoed.

I was retreating as quickly as possible, but ultimately I was discovered by the object.

A yeti.

It was one of the objects easy to deal with if only I had personal firearms.

But all the basic weaponry the agents had carried was long gone, reduced to dust.

Among the remaining equipment, there was only one multi-purpose knife that could be considered a weapon.

Facing a pack of yetis with just a single knife was tough, so my only option was to run away as fast as I could.

The last member of my team had just become yeti food.

In the end, I had become a team leader who lost all my members.

And ultimately, I would also be devoured by the yetis.

I was panting heavily from running too hard, and the yetis were much more nimble and faster than I was.

Thud.

After running too long, I slipped and fell in the slippery snowfield.

I had almost no strength left to get back up and run again.

Is this how it ends?

Gasping for breath, I looked up at the sky.

In the dim sky, clouds of fish were gathering in droves.

It looked like a peaceful sky.

“?”

The noisy surroundings, which had been filled with the sounds of yetis, were now silent.

Something felt odd.

Regaining my breath, I raised my upper body; the yetis that had been chasing me vanished without a trace.

“Did I survive?”

I staggered and tried to stand again.

I needed to head towards where the rendezvous point was, even if just a little closer.

If the abnormal activity of the Steel Tower had been observed, the standby team at the rendezvous might come out to welcome me.

There was still hope.

“No way….”

But that hope vanished in an instant.

As I staggered and walked, I found myself stopping again to look up at the sky.

“Aaaah!”

Frustrated, I shouted.

Why did it turn out like this?

I had thought the chances of succeeding in the mission were high…

The clouds in the sky vanished, and a sinister purple light filled the void.

The moon of the snowfield rose.

The chance of survival was now infinitely close to 0%.

I was exhausted.

I couldn’t hold on any longer.

In a state of despair, I threw my body into the shadows.

*

Inside the shadows, I stood in an incomprehensible plain.

It was a field with a strong smell of oil.

Perhaps because of the odor of oil, I felt dizzy.

Sometimes my vision blurred to the point of distortion.

The plain was covered thickly in black, sticky mud, and unidentified black grass was sporadically growing on the ground.

Six moons hung in the sky.

They were moons of rainbow-like colors, but the purple moon was absent.

A black, dark sky without a single star.

I felt dizzy due to the strong smell of oil.

Or perhaps I’d be dizzy even without the smell of oil?

The black piles of mud moved as if they were living creatures.

They wriggled aimlessly, like they were searching for something or moving without any purpose.

From their appearance came one premonition.

Ha… is this my final destination?

With a sense of resignation, I looked at my hands.

What lay there was something like ugly, dripping mud.

Gradually, I felt more and more dizzy.

I had no idea what this world was about.

Even if I tried to figure it out, I probably wouldn’t have enough time left.

And I already felt like I had crossed a boundary I couldn’t return from.

I thought I’d be buried in Korean soil when I died…

Ah, I feel dizzy. So dizzy.