It was a quiet early August night, just another weekend.
The temperature was particularly high compared to other years, but nothing out of the ordinary. In the urban area of the city, most streets had a few souls wandering here and there.
Shopping centers, banks, and other establishments stood out as they were completely closed, lights off, as the professional and formal life had ended many hours ago.
People who didn't seek an active nightlife, either by choice or due to lack of resources (which was the majority), stayed in their homes, trying to rest and regain strength worn out by constant overwhelming work, awaiting the new day to continue with their simple lives.
On the contrary, in some more specific places, the scene was more lively.
Nightlife spots, like freshly awakened French gargoyles, stood bustling with life and exotic fun indoors.
With the stressful lifestyle most people lead and the burdensome jobs society imposes on them, citizens are pushed to 'let loose' and flock en masse to hundreds of bars, karaoke rooms, and nightclubs scattered throughout the city!
Some districts become nocturnal carnivals of take-out drinks, street food, and endless parties.
Others, much quieter, are relaxation spots where one can enjoy good conversation in a pleasant atmosphere, accompanied by soft melodies and murmurs of people, while savoring exquisite drinks like fine whisky or champagne.
There are even 'exclusive' places for select people seeking different kinds of fun, places where they can indulge their basest instincts without fear of being judged, reserved only for those 'VIP' individuals of society.
There's something for everyone, as long as you can afford it and the fun is worth it.
And in one of those night bars, well-known not only for its drinks but also for typical 'Pojangmacha' foods like hotteok, gimbap, tteokbokki, sundae, etc., two people had been drinking until they were drunk.
One of them, a handsome man with smooth orange hair and a tuft sticking out at the front, had a somewhat melancholic and expectant expression.
For several years, this man had felt an inexplicable sense of loss in his life, as if something were missing, which made him feel strange and tired.
However, with what had recently happened in his work environment, the feeling of loss had changed, and that had him deep in thought.
Because the things he had recently seen had left a strong impression on his mind...
"Boss Woo," his companion, who had been watching him for a while, spoke, catching his attention.
"Hmm?"
"You've been investigating the thief case since that day, right?"
The orange-haired man, named Woo Jin-Chul, a detective in the investigation department of the police homicide division, grimaced at his younger detective's question.
Feeling his head throb at what that question meant, he drank his glass without saying a word.
However, his subordinate seemed unfazed by his silence, so he continued asking.
"Did you see something that day?"
"What day?"
"Oh, you know, the day the thief disappeared. Did you really see something?" The younger detective smiled suggestively and spoke to Woo Jin-Chul, who was still drinking his liquor.
'There are times when this kid is very direct,' thought Woo Jin-Chul as he listened to his colleague.
"What if I did see something?" Remembering his rookie days, Jin-Chul responded with a slight smile.
"Really?!"
His young colleague's eyes, which until a few moments ago seemed glazed over from alcohol, now sparkled intensely as his ears turned red!
Well, he was the youngest in their police department, closer to being a student than a social worker, so his reaction wasn't surprising.
And for some reason, maybe because he was drunk or maybe because he wanted to confide in someone, Jin-Chul began to speak more than usual.
"I saw ants... humanoid monsters shaped like ants."
Gulp
The junior detective swallowed hard!
Jin-Chul could hear the young detective's throat swaying from side to side, which amused him greatly.
"I'm not exactly sure what I saw then... but it seemed like ants."
"Good heavens... monster ants? You mean giant ants?" asked the now wide-awake young detective.
"No, they were ants, but..."
¡¡Rumble!!
¡¡Rumble!!
Just as Woo Jin-Chul was about to explain more about what he saw that fateful day, a series of thunderous sounds began echoing from high in the sky, while flashing lights started illuminating everything!
"What the hell is that?!" Snapping out of their drunkenness, both detectives tried to stand up as everything began to shake, as if an earthquake were happening right then!
¡Booomm!
¡Booomm!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Boom!
Boom!
"What the hell is happening?!" an elderly man bellowed as he tried to cover his worn and saggy body with a golden silk robe.
Rising from the large bed where he had been lying, he began to stagger, attempting to stand upright. He was visibly shaken by everything unfolding before his eyes!
And no wonder, because what he saw through the windows of his penthouse was unbelievable. The sky seemed to be splitting into hundreds of flashing pieces!
This sight left the old man dumbfounded, forgetting what he was doing at that moment! Just moments ago, he had been enjoying life as he had for the past forty years.
As the president of one of the country's largest companies, this elderly man's lifestyle had been extremely lavish. From luxury cars and expensive mansions at his fingertips, to the most beautiful young women willing to share their warmth with him.
His entire life had been about enjoying anything he desired, following his own rules, and being accountable to no one. With all the power he had amassed, he felt entitled to do so.
Today, as usual, he was in the penthouse of one of his busy hotels, enjoying the company of a beautiful young woman he had met at a recent social event.
Being the sly old fox he was, he knew exactly which buttons to press and how to work when meeting a woman, boasting about his status and making his intentions clear, not just to bed any female, but to make her completely his.
Yet today, just as they were about to engage in a passionate affair, the sky seemed to deny him pleasure, revealing an apocalyptic scene with a thunderous lightning storm!
Thump
"President, move away from the windows!"
Swinging open the doors of the luxurious room, a man dressed in a black suit swiftly entered, followed by several similarly dressed men. This figure, with a truly intimidating aura, quickly approached the old man, paying no heed to the naked woman still on the bed trying to cover herself with the sheets.
For this man in black, seeing beautiful and naked women was a routine sight since he started working with the old man.
"G-Get my clothes and everything else!"
"H-Hey! D-Don't leave me!"
Without waiting for any response, the old man tremulously ordered his head of security as he began to hurriedly walk out of the room, ignoring the desperate cries of the young woman.
At that moment, the rest of the men in black suits swiftly began to gather everything to exit the premises.
Crack!
Rumble
Crack!
"Let's move to the living room and then to the stairs, the elevators aren't safe right now!"
The head of security spoke firmly as the other men nodded, surrounding the old man who instinctively wanted to flee from the terrifying luminous spectacle visible through the windows.
And it wasn't just him; almost his entire security team had fearful faces due to such a thunderous and horrendous spectacle!
Booooooooommm!!!
Booooooooommm!!!
Just as the lights in the living room exploded, a deafening sound echoed all around, as if a massive bomb had exploded and obliterated everything in its path!
This thunderclap shattered the windowpanes, causing both the old man and his security team to throw themselves to the ground while screaming in fright!
But the next moment, none of what they thought had happened actually occurred. Nothing exploded... the hotel didn't collapse... the world didn't end. Everything returned to tranquility, everything became calm.
"W-What the hell was that?"
The old man slowly stood up, trying to comprehend what the hell had just happened. One moment he was joyfully making love to a beautiful young woman, and the next he was running half-naked out of the room while hell seemed to have broken loose outside.
And a few seconds later, everything had returned to calm.
What the hell had happened?!
However, as everyone stood up, the head of security's gaze shifted to the hallway connecting the living room to the penthouse.
There stood the girl with whom the old man had been making love, her face frightened and tearful, clutching the sheets around her body.
But her gaze conveyed not only fear but also contempt and hatred, directed at her boss.
"Damn you, old man! You abandoned me like it was nothing!" she began to rant amid bitter tears, pointing an accusing finger.
'Damn... now I have to deal with her,' the head of security sighed inwardly, trying to think rationally while suppressing the fear that had been invading his body.
If it weren't for the terrifying natural phenomenon, he would have acted quickly and decisively in situations like this where some of the women his boss associated with turned out to be troublesome.
Working as the head of security for President Cha Doo-chul of the Uju (Cosmos) group required nerves of steel and the ability to act in strange situations to handle matters like this.
'This is going to be a long night,' he complained internally as he stood up fully and walked in the direction of his objective.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rumble!
Rumble!
Booomm!
A deafening sound preceded a violent seismic shake, quite unlike thunder, shaking the slope of Mount Seoraksan, one of Sokcho's most famous tourist spots in Gangwon-do.
This thunderous phenomenon, coupled with a terrifying lightning storm, sent all living creatures fleeing in all directions!
Booooooooommm!!!
Booooooooommm!!!
Just as the lightning in the sky intensified, a thunderous sound echoed all around, as if a terrible bomb had exploded, worsening the situation!
However, everything immediately quieted down. Without the terrifying thunder sounds in the sky, without any other impact sounds on the ground, nothing else was heard, filling the place with an oppressive calm.
What the hell had happened?! That was the question crossing the minds of the locals, who were still on edge from the horrendous weather event.
Even the frightened animals, devoid of any reasoning, seemed stunned by everything that had occurred!
However, for all living beings in this place, the worst was about to begin
...........
At a certain point on Mount Seoraksan, a kind of dusty black cloud had formed, as if something had violently impacted that spot, or as if a volcano had erupted.
Although this wasn't a volcanic area, this black dust cloud seemed to resemble volcanic smog.
The cloud wasn't very tall, but it was rapidly spreading in all directions, engulfing everything in its path.
Wuuu!
Wuagh!
Chiiii!
Everywhere this thick black mist passed, the mournful cries of animals began to resonate loudly!
These howls and cries were heartbreaking and guttural, as if they were all drowning in some kind of fluid.
The various animals caught in this anomaly immediately screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground as their legs gave out.
In the next instant, they began to convulse as they felt their lungs filling with a black miasma spreading throughout their bodies.
Slowly, amid cries and lamentations, the bodies of these animals began to deteriorate, as if aging at a dizzying speed, taking on a mummified appearance!
This was unreal, a nightmare panorama!
Even the plants and trees, while not emitting painful cries, began to wither rapidly, peeling and cracking like dry wood and straw.
Even the fertile, virgin soil began to turn ashen, as if it had been burned.
Everything that touched this black fog began to wither and die!
All life began to extinguish with every meter advanced by this dark mist, which was swallowing everything in its path.
In just a few minutes, hundreds and hundreds of meters were corroded by this horrible phenomenon!
However, after a few more minutes, the thick black mist stopped its advance, as if frozen in place.
After being still for a few seconds, it began to retreat much faster than it had spread, converging at a single point!
As it withdrew, the terrible sight began to become visible.
What had once been a place teeming with wildlife, filled with various trees and animal species, was now a horrible wasteland of death.
The remains of trees and plants began to crumble as if they were rotted wood.
The bodies of the animals were completely mummified and reduced to a pile of bones and skin, so weak they seemed fragile enough to break with the slightest touch!
Thus, the fog quickly retreated, completely withdrawing and converging at the center of a deep crater located on the mountain slope, right at the point where everything had begun.
This hole, which did not exist before the horrible event, seemed to have been formed by the impact of a heavy object that had fallen from a great height, or so someone would say if they saw it.
Perhaps a meteorite?
Was it something that had arrived along with that horrible storm?
No one knew.
At the bottom of that crater, among the scattered rocks, a phenomenon as strange as that black mist was occurring.
An amorphous, multicolored mass no larger than a soccer ball was moving violently, as if it were ferociously emerging from deep within the earth and trying to surface so as not to be covered by the debris.
That thing, which resembled nothing seen in this world, moved as if it were some kind of animal!
Many tentacle-like protrusions removed the earth covering it, trying to completely clean it.
After the multicolored mass was exposed and free of any traces of earth on its surface, it gradually calmed down, ceasing its movements.
However, when it finally stood completely still, the mass began to grow in size, adopting an oval shape, like a giant egg!
At the same time, its smooth, moist surface began to dry, forming a kind of grayish crust around it.
Thus, that crust thickened and became a shell that completely covered its entire surface.
Crack
Bumb
Bumb
After a few seconds, that thickened shell began to crack, giving way to weak pulses from within that lifted the various shell plates that were forming.
Like the beats of a heart, as if something were trying to emerge from within, with each pulsation the cracked pieces of the shell began to separate, forming large fissures between them.
Crack!
Psch
Crack!
Some kind of long and abnormal limbs, stained with various viscous fluids, began to emerge from between the cracks!
These structures had small phalangeal extensions at their distal ends, which gradually grew, taking the form of human fingers!
That thing was not only alive but seemed to be some kind of animal!
Immediately, these newly formed fingers began to clumsily grasp the pieces of the now cracked shell, trying to remove them so that the rest of its body could emerge.
Psch
Spruit
Splash!
Suddenly, a completely naked being violently emerged from within, covered with various viscous fluids!
This being, which at first glance could be mistaken for any completely skinned quadrupedal animal, began to change shape until it took on a human form.
It adopted a human form!
Judging by its appearance, it could be said to be a human, a man to be more specific, given the large thing hanging between his legs.
His body height was tall for an average person, but his build was very thin, almost emaciated.
His skin had a sickeningly pale appearance, almost transparent, revealing the blood vessels beneath the dermis.
Additionally, there was no trace of hair or fur anywhere on his body.
He had the appearance of a giant fetus, a truly terrifying human being!
"Hugh! Haaa... haaa... cough!... haaa... haaa... cough!"
Once this newly formed human fell to the ground, he began to crawl and cough uncontrollably, expelling some kind of mucus that was stuck in his airways.
After taking great gasps of air, he tried to stand up, only to fall back to the ground as if his legs lacked strength.
After some failed attempts, he managed to stand up, albeit without good stability.
Nevertheless, he achieved his goal, managing to stay upright.
He wiped his face with his newly developed and trembling hands, trying to remove a thin crust that had formed on his skin due to the rapid dryness of the fluids that had mixed with the grayish earth.
Taking erratic steps, he began to exit the crater where he was, gradually gaining good coordination of his movements.
When he was out of that hole, he saw with his large newly created eyes that all that dead wasteland extended as far as he could see!
With a kind of alert look, this 'man' observed everything around him, seeing the strange and depressing panorama that had been caused by him.
However, his gaze was not focused on the remains of animals and plants scattered everywhere but seemed to be searching for something with acute insistence. After inspecting the place for a while, he let out a kind of sigh and relaxed.
"Phew..."
Suddenly, his gaze focused on a specific place.
Although almost nothing could be seen clearly because it was night, he could feel several presences of living beings at a certain point, which were getting closer with each passing second.
With slow but steady steps, he continued walking in the opposite direction of that place, regardless of all the death and destruction around him.