TDWAD 06

Chapter 6

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“‘Sky Blade’ is dead. He failed to overcome the trial again.”
“Nooo…! I told you we shouldn’t have sent him!”
“No matter how many times this repeats, I just can’t get used to it.”

In the previous round, countless “Great Causes” had vanished just like that.

Preparing for the descent.

Do-yoon swore—again and again.

This time, he would not repeat that painful history of loss.

And protecting Seo Hye-jin was the beginning of that vow.

A black SUV sped down the road.

Do-yoon glanced at the driver’s seat.

“Come to the ‘workshop’…? Where’s that supposed to be?”

“There’s an abandoned factory in Yangpyeong. It’s a building owned under a borrowed name by President Jo.”

“And why’s it called a workshop?”

The muscles in Choi Ki-hyun’s arm, which gripped the steering wheel, twitched faintly.

“It’s the place the Jo Yong-bae gang uses for cleanup jobs after hitting targets. It’s somewhere you should never step foot in. Not even hover near it.”

“And yet we’re willingly going there?”

“I’ve got at least a shred of conscience left. Even if this is how I’ve been living… That bastard Jo Yong-bae doesn’t even deserve to breathe the same air.”

Ki-hyun’s eyes blazed with resolve—finally free from fear.

“Maybe it’s shameless of me to act this way after taking Jo’s help, but I want to make things right. That demon… I think we can finally stop him.”

“Sang-il, stay here.”

“What? Why just me? I want to help too.”

“With that leg? Just wait in the car.”

When Han Sang-il insisted on following, Choi Ki-hyun stopped him firmly and picked up his briefcase.

“My leg may be like this, but if I grab someone, I can fold them in half, you know!”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll call you if we need you—just be ready to come running when I call. Let’s go.”

Choi Ki-hyun led Do-yoon inside.

The abandoned factory, shrouded in cold air, was the kind of place anyone would turn around and walk away from the moment they arrived—even without knowing it was the “workshop.”

Rusty steel beams, dust-covered equipment.

A sight that would repulse anyone who wasn’t a fan of urban exploration.

They stepped on shattered glass as they entered, and a wide open space revealed itself.

Dim lights flickered down from the ceiling.

And in front of a towering steel structure—

“Hyun Do-yoon, huh? What a gentleman. We were just talking about you.”

Two faint silhouettes stood there.

“Why did you come?! I told you not to come…!”

As Do-yoon approached, he saw Seo Hye-jin—her face contorted in a scream.

That image etched itself into his eyes.

And in that moment, it felt like steam was boiling up in his skull—drenched in icy water.

“…Jo Yong-bae, boss of the Jo Yong-bae gang.”

“Boss? What is this, the 80s?”

Jo Yong-bae cocked his head. His look was more like Kim Seok-jin than Choi Ki-hyun—sharp, elite, formal.

“Nowadays, even ‘boss’ sounds outdated. Anyway, aren’t you gonna say hi?”

He grabbed Seo Hye-jin’s jaw and twisted her face toward Do-yoon.

“Let her go! I said let her go!”

Crunch.

Do-yoon gritted his teeth hard.

This man dared touch someone so precious—a ‘Great Cause’ he’d swore to protect.

“Seo Hye-jin.”

“Do-Do-yoon! Run! He’s not human—”

“Oh? How’d you figure that out?”

Zzzt.

Jo slapped duct tape over her mouth.

Her words were cut off mid-sentence.

“But really, it’s just basic manners.”

His hand slid down her neck like a snake.

“Mmgh…!”

Then, reaching the back of the chair—

Crack!

He casually snapped the backrest off.

“Well, there goes the spoiler. Ruined everything.”

It wasn’t human strength. Not even close.

The first gate may have opened, but no awakenings had happened yet.

So how… how could Jo Yong-bae do this?

“Now you understand why I asked to meet?”

Do-yoon didn’t answer.

Instead, he nodded to Choi Ki-hyun, who opened the briefcase and revealed its contents.

“250 million won. Trade her for this.”

“…Hah. You’re offering everything up front?”

Jo’s face twisted.

“You motherf***ers think I’m a joke?!”

Boom!

He slammed the floor with his foot, and the ground quaked as if hit by a wrecking ball.

“Listen, Hyun Do-yoon. Our world isn’t some cheesy romance comic. It’s philosophy. Identity crisis. ‘Who are we, really?’ You’ve thought about that, haven’t you?”

“Not even once.”

Jo smirked.

“Then think now. You and I—we’re already perfect predators. And lions hunt in packs.”

He held out his palm and continued.

“I’m building a pride. If elite beings like us work together, we won’t just hunt prey… We can dominate the entire food chain. I’m offering you the chance to be the first member.”

“Yawn.”

Do-yoon let out a loud yawn.

“That’s so painfully cliché. First you talk like it’s the 80s, now this.”

“…What?”

“Brooding about how you’re different. Delusions of grandeur. It’s indulgent. And laughably pathetic.”

“…?”

Jo blinked, briefly stunned, then composed himself.

“So, you’re rejecting the offer?”

“Rejecting? No. It’s more like I’ll tear it to pieces and scatter the remains. Take the money and get lost.”

“Tsk.”

Jo scratched his head.

“Thought I was finally getting a comrade… Ugh, now I’m starving. Bring out the meal.”

Thud.

The briefcase hit the floor.

Ki-hyun lowered his head, walked to a dark corner, and dragged something wrapped in plastic.

He ripped it open with a blank face.

Inside was… a headless human corpse.

Jo licked his lips.

“President Choi. What lie did you tell to bring this one here?”

“I said you weren’t human. That only he could stop you. Gave him the noble-eyes treatment.”

Ki-hyun looked at Do-yoon.

“Not everything I said earlier was a lie. But ten billion… how could I refuse?”

“You two were in on it.”

“Well, more like…”

Jo searched for the right word.

“‘Delivery service’ sounds about right. Mmm, delivery complete.”

Shlaaash!

Black tentacles burst out from Jo’s shoulders.

Their grotesque mouths opened wide and lunged at the corpse.

Chomp, slurp, munch.

Within a minute, the body was completely devoured.

As the horrific sounds faded, Jo’s muscles bulged.

His height increased slightly, and his bones seemed to stretch.

“We don’t have to shake hands. Just become a part of me—join me inside!”

Jo launched himself with a terrifying leap, bracing on the ground with his tentacles.

[‘Killing Intent Detection (A)’ has been activated.]
[Detected threat: ??? Individual. Possesses troublesome skills.]
[Threat Level: A-Rank]

Tick—

Do-yoon ignored the [Afterlife Escape Compass].

He tracked both Choi Ki-hyun yanking Seo Hye-jin and Jo’s position above.

‘The ceiling?’

Tentacles anchored to steel beams above.

Jo exploded with force.

Screeeeech!

A black blur hurtled toward Do-yoon.

BOOOOM—!

The wall shook.

The ground quaked.

The whole factory vibrated as dust clouded the air.

“Damn.”

Cracks spidered out from a dent in the floor.

Do-yoon got up, bracing against the edge.

“Not bad, huh?”

Jo grinned and charged again.

Whooosh!

Two tentacles flew toward Do-yoon.

Their jagged teeth dripped brownish spit.

Do-yoon flinched and punched.

Pow!

Skreeee!

One was knocked away, but the other bit him.

“Urgh.”

Fire burned in his shoulder.

Blood sprayed high.

Do-yoon winced.

Slurp, slurp.

The tentacle devoured the flesh it ripped off.

“Oooh… now that’s the taste! Can’t compare to normal humans!”

Jo’s face contorted in pleasure—and sorrow.

“All that wasted blood!”

‘Just like [Killing Intent Detection] said. Troublesome A-Rank combat power.
I, on the other hand… only B-Rank stats.’

Two tentacles attacked from all directions, and Do-yoon blocked with his fists.

The matchup was bad.

While the tentacles were distracted by blood and meat, he scanned the area.

‘There!’

He sprang behind a rusty metal tank.

“Running away?”

Jo followed at full speed.

He leaped over the tank with tentacles, trying to crush Do-yoon’s spine with a sneak strike.

CRACK!

Do-yoon spun his waist like a windmill and struck the tentacle with a crowbar.

“You f***er!”

Jo quickly retracted his left tentacle and swung the right.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Metallic clashes echoed through the factory.

The shock traveled up Do-yoon’s wrist.

‘Hardened… Not just shape-changing, but texture too.’

Their exchange was dizzying.

Matching the tentacles’ path with the crowbar wasn’t too difficult.

Do-yoon’s Combat Sense was 20 (+1)—a first-tier stat specialized in predicting and countering enemy movement.

But what he needed now was intuition—a sense to detect the unexpected.

His Intuition stat was 15 (+1), lower in comparison.

So he heightened all his senses.

The world went silent—he felt alone.

‘It’s coming.’

A chill ran up his spine.

A left tentacle brushed his neck from the shadows.

“Again? Damn you, Hyun Do-yoon!”

Jo lashed out furiously.

“You’ve only been ‘awakened’ for a day!”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I had a long chat with your girlfriend! Sudden changes in your daily routine. Sudden transformation. But I’ve had over a week!”

Jo’s smile widened into a smug grin.

“That means I’ve lived seven times longer than you. I’m seven times wiser!”

The left tentacle bent at a right angle and wrapped around Do-yoon like a snake.

“…?”

Jo flinched.

He usually enjoyed watching prey squirm in despair.

But…

‘Why isn’t he struggling?’

Do-yoon’s gaze was steady.

And a faint smile played on his lips.

As if he’d been waiting for this moment.

“Jo Yong-bae. Want to know who you are?”

“What?”

“You’re just the opening act—a clown that hypes up the stage before the real show starts.”

“What kind of flailing is this…? Alright, entertain me more.”

“The clown fools himself, thinking he’s above the crowd.”

Jo Yong-bae the Human Predator.

He was a notoriously dangerous NPC in northern Seoul.

In rounds where you endure early hardships, he evolves into an ‘Awakened Predator’—dangerous as hell.

“But a clown is still just a clown.”

The appearance of gates had brought a double catastrophe to humanity.

Monsters from beyond—and NPCs from within.

The crucial difference between them and Awakeners:

Only Awakeners had access to the Status Window, the player’s exclusive right.

[‘Strength’ – 18]
[Pay 500P to enhance this stat? Y/N]
→ Enhance.

[‘Strength’ – 19]
[Pay 550P to enhance this stat? Y/N]
→ Enhance.

[‘Strength’ – 20]
[Pay 600P to enhance this stat? Y/N]
→ Enhance.

[‘Strength’ – 21]
[Pay 2000P to enhance this stat? Y/N]
→ Enhance.

Jo Yong-bae felt something new—never before experienced.

It was as if the prey had seized his hand, not the other way around.

That’s impossible.

He ignored the ominous feeling and opened the tentacle’s mouth wide to devour Do-yoon.

Then, Do-yoon’s vision flashed.

[You are in critical danger!]
[‘Limit Break (EX Rank)’ activated.]
[All stats +1]

Seo Hye-jin’s eyes widened.

Choi Ki-hyun held his breath.

“H-How…?”

Jo’s eyes bulged.

Rip!

Do-yoon ripped through the tentacles constricting him with sheer force—

“You filthy monster among monsters. You dare lay a hand on a Great Cause?”

Crackkk!

He grabbed Jo’s gaping jaw with both hands and tore it open.

“My precious descendant—more valuable than rain in a drought, more cherished than gold! You dared touch her—?!”

“KRAAAAGH!”

With a howl of agony, Jo staggered—

And Do-yoon punched straight through his chest.

SPLURT—!