Seoul Object Story

Deep within the Free City Alliance, in the lawless zone.

Despite the cold rain, Qing could feel the intense heat from the melted concrete through the exposed skin above her thick mask.

The man leading the Scavengers looked nothing like a human.

He must have been human, considering the numerous Object grafts, but he had almost no human skin, nor even artificial skin made from Objects. He looked more like a robot.

Thick armor plating suitable for a tank.

A large-caliber heavy weapon seemingly impossible for a human to carry.

A beam cannon that melted concrete.

He was truly a monster whose entire body had been modified into weapons.

But a faint red light leaked from the artificial eyes serving as his eyes.

A red color mixed with ominousness.

Proof of psychosis.

He was a man who perfectly exemplified the fate of a mercenary who had overused Objects.

The monster-like man opened his mouth towards Qing’s group.

“I only want two things.”

The Scavenger leader, ‘Tank’, acted as if he had already won.

In fact, considering the numbers and the level of equipment, Qing’s group seemed to have no chance of victory.

But Qing’s group still hadn’t given up hope and was looking for a breakthrough while pretending to listen to the Scavenger’s words.

Qing hid behind the man and was scanning the monster’s Object data with a small terminal.

(Well? Think there’s a weakness we can target?)

The woman with the sniper rifle asked Qing in a low voice, using the monster’s demands for the pure human ‘Qing’ and the cargo they were transporting as background noise.

(There’s just one place we can target.)

Qing said, pointing towards the approximate location of ‘Tank’s’ heart.

Thump. Thump.

A heavy vibration strong enough to shake the ground.

In ‘Tank’s’ chest, instead of a heart, a mechanical device pulsed, emitting red light like a furnace.

(That device was made from the Object ‘Fire-Breathing Serpent’ that appeared two years ago. It’s said to be extremely unstable.)

Qing continued whispering in a low voice.

(But seeing as he’s survived for two years, we have to assume he stabilized it somehow. Provoking that device to explode is our best bet.)

However, the device attached near the heart was protected by extremely thick armor, making it no easy task.

It seemed impossible even with the man’s shotgun or machine gun, let alone the woman’s sniper rifle.

“Now, choose!”

‘Tank’ shouted, aiming the thick barrel of his beam cannon.

It was truly the moment of decision.

Qing’s group exchanged final glances.

They would likely die, but through their exchanged glances, they resolved to make a final stand.

But their resolve was rendered meaningless as the situation began to change rapidly.

The device attached near the monster’s heart began to emit an increasingly intense red light, then soon started spewing high-temperature flames.

Just as the beam cannon had melted the concrete, the flames originating from the heart began to melt ‘Tank’s’ body.

Neither the composite armor made of Objects nor the heat exchanger meant to cool it down were of any use.

“Wh… Why!”

The monster struggled desperately to survive amidst the agony of its melting body.

It tried to tear off the mechanical device attached to its heart with its giant machine-pincer-like hands, but strangely, it kept slipping, unable even to tear it off.

Moreover, as if the fire were alive, it was unnaturally melting ‘Tank’s’ hands and face first.

“N… No!”

The monster, writhing in agony, instantly melted away, leaving only glowing red molten metal.

Again? This time too?

Seeing this spectacle, Qing recalled what had happened last time.

That bizarre and mystical sight of the shotgun dancing in the sky.

But perhaps because this was the second time experiencing it, Qing quickly regained her composure.

The girl quickly grabbed her companions’ hands and shouted.

“Let’s run away quickly!”

Now was the chance, while the Scavengers were still stunned by the incomprehensible, bizarre situation.

Qing began to quickly lead her very bewildered companions away from the scene.

Surviving was paramount now, so they hesitated no longer and ran, looking only ahead.