‘Oh, shut up already!’
In Ifühl Counter’s office, Alina was glaring at a document, her eyebrows furrowed as the clay golem’s roar rattled the windows.
After everyone had taken shelter, Ifühl Counter, so close to the main square where the stone monster was running rampant, became an empty shell. Only Alina was left sitting at her desk, doing office work with a face of despair.
‘That asshole!’
She muttered under her breath as she stared at a torn-off piece of paper. On it was written: “Prepare report on claims from this morning. Have it finished by end of day.” An order from her superior that, as far as she knew, wasn’t there before she left for the shops.
Obviously, ensuring her own safety was more important than any order from above. But Alina knew. If you don’t start working on such reports on that very day, you’re bound to forget the details. It will follow you around like a poison or a curse, taking more time to complete the longer you wait, and hindering your ability to go home on time the following day.
What awaits beyond is the dreaded overtime. This was no time to leisurely take shelter.
‘That asshole!! I’ll never forgive—’
GAAAAAAAAAA!
As she uttered a low-pitched curse, a deafening howl shook the reception to the rafters. Outside, the signs of unrest grew, as did the panicked cries.
Even Alina had to step outside to check what was going on. When she did, she saw countless rocks hurling from the rampaging Clay Golem towering behind the orange roofs, and, riding on its shoulder, Slay, the man who had caused the commotion at the reception earlier this afternoon. It looked like this was his handiwork.
Well, the guy’s a real basket case. I can’t say I’m surprised.
Alina, who has to deal with such troublesome ‘clients’ on a daily basis, observed the situation with the utmost composure.
Slay had raised such a commotion. It shouldn’t be long before the adventurers gather forces and defeat him along with that monster. After all, this is the city of adventurers. Does he not realise just how many of them live here?
‘What’s with the fuss? It’s just a normal area attack. What’s everyone getting so worked up about—’
Tracing the trajectory of the wildly flying rocks, Alina froze solid. A number of them were hurling towards a direction she knew all too well. A place near the main square, a quiet neighbourhood—the one Alina lives in.
‘Huh?’
While Alina stood dumbfounded, she activated her skill almost on impulse. Wrapped in white skill-light, she leapt up with inhuman strength and, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, sped home.
The closer she got to her home, the stronger her premonition became. She could just make out the house with the orange rooftop, so typical of Ifühl. But was it her imagination, or did she see the silhouette of what looked like a crooked chimney poking through her house? No, she could see it clearly with her naked eye. And yet, Alina didn’t want to believe it and determinedly kept heading home. When she eventually landed in front of her house, a gruesome sight greeted her.
‘Ah…ah…’
Stone fragments from the Clay Golem’s body punctured deep into the orange roof of her precious home.
‘You’ve gotta be kidding me…’
The sight was more than enough to make Alina’s mind turn blank. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Before Alina’s dazed eyes, the rocks swelled up into miniature golems, crashed through the roof on which they were precariously balanced, and tumbled down into the house.
Smash! Bang! As the golems went berserk, the sound of windowpanes being smashed, holes punched through walls, doors being torn off their hinges created a cacophony of destruction that sounded to Alina like her own house were crying out in pain.
‘My mortgage…I only had thirty years left…’
As she watched in horror as her house was reduced to rubble, a dark emotion bubbled up inside Alina.
‘That soreheaded bastard!!!!’
Flames of indignation blazed in Alina’s eyes. She slowly stood up and turned towards the Clay Golem in the main square, her thoughts dominated with rage.
‘Prepare to die!’
