“So it’s about summoning, right?”
The others seemed confused.
“Summoning? ...What are you talking about?”
Amid the puzzled looks, only one person seemed to understand.
“You mean that fortress, don’t you?” **Sergeant Minjae Lee** spoke up.
As one of the longest-standing members who had been with the unit since its early days, he seemed to catch on to my idea.
“If it’s possible, it’s not a bad plan... but...”
Minjae frowned. “Didn’t we find it impossible to summon?”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it?”
A while ago, when we successfully defended **423rd Battalion** and secured our territory from the **Lizard Army**, we achieved a significant accomplishment.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
[This Land is My Land]
[First Rank Privilege Awarded]
The reward for that achievement was **Fortress Vimana**.
‘It was the first achievement reward for humans, after all.’
In any game, first achievement rewards are never trivial, and this one was no exception. The power behind this fortress had been evident to me when I’d glimpsed it once before in **Ariella’s Shadow Veil**.
Unfortunately, every attempt to summon it in reality since then had failed. Each time I tried, a familiar “ding” sound played, followed by a now all-too-familiar message.
[Insufficient space for summoning.]
Yes, the ultimate reason we hadn’t been able to use this prized achievement reward was, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} absurdly enough, because it was simply... too big.
The 423rd Battalion was built on a mountain peak, so naturally, space was limited. We’d just shrugged it off, thinking we’d try again when we reached larger areas. But attempts in any open area on the ground failed, and even spacious fields weren’t enough.
At this point, the only place left might be the sea.
“Well, I think it’s about time we tried it again.”
Corporal **Gwangil Jeon** raised his hand.
“If we couldn’t summon it because of a lack of space, won’t it be the same now?”
“Good point,” I said with a nod.
“Where on earth would we find space big enough for such a fortress?”
Even large fields hadn’t sufficed, and there wasn’t anywhere in this city with enough open area.
But a recent experience in a water-filled dungeon had shifted my perspective a bit.
“About summoning the fortress...”
“Yes?”
Sometimes solving a problem just requires a slight change in thinking.
“Does it really have to be on land?”
* * *
In fact, there had been talk of establishing a proper base rather than relying on temporary ones. We’d had meetings and explored potential sites, but it never felt urgent—until now.
Among the most popular ideas was to use one of the islands in the river next to **Chuncheon City**. The wide river that ran alongside the city had several large islands, which we could use as a natural moat for defense and easy access to fresh water.
One island with an abandoned amusement park was a top contender. Its empty structures could even serve as the foundation for defensive installations.
“But we don’t have time for all that. Let’s leave the islands for later.”
What mattered now was the river itself. The area between the islands had plenty of open space—enough, perhaps, for one more island.
“Are you serious about floating a fortress there?” Gwangil looked doubtful.
My plan was simple: summon the fortress over the river, right there in the large, open space.
“And if, by some miracle, it does summon, won’t it just sink?”
“Well, if it fails, there’s nothing lost,” I shrugged.
The space between the islands was wide enough that, if it didn’t work, the sea would probably be our only remaining option.
But if it worked...
“Then it would be the ideal location for a base.”
The river would act as a natural moat, aiding our defense and providing us with water. Plus, it was close to the city’s devastated center, where we could use the islands and city ruins as a sort of front yard.
So, after arriving at the river, I sent up a quick prayer to any and all gods, hoping for success.
Then...
[Would you like to summon Fortress Vimana?]
[Y/N]
I pressed the summon button without hesitation.
*Ding.*
[Scanning location...]
[Scanning...]
It was a message I’d seen many times before. Normally, the next message would say:
[Insufficient space for summoning.]
Trying to stay calm, I waited for the next message. Finally, it appeared.
*Ding!*
A new message popped up, one I hadn’t seen before.
[Summoning area secured.]
“...!”
The message was completely different from all the previous ones.
[Would you like to summon Fortress Vimana at this location?]
[Warning!]
[Please choose your summoning location carefully.]
[Once summoned, the fortress will require a 30-day cooldown for any future relocations.]
“Haha...”
A prompt asking if I wanted to summon it here? There was no question about it.
Without a second thought, I confirmed the summon.
Then...
[Summoning fortress...]
[Brace for impact.]
Impact? I barely had time to wonder what it meant before—
**BOOM!**
An earth-shattering noise filled the air.
“...!?”
And with it, an enormous wave surged toward us.
“Damn!”
“Brace for impact!” I shouted.
My soldiers crouched down just in time to absorb the sudden wave’s force.
“Whew... Everyone okay?!”
“Yes!”
“We’re fine, Sergeant!”
Fortunately, all of us were Awakened. Although some were thrown back by the wave, most managed to stay on their feet.
I was about to check on them when I noticed they were all staring, mouths agape, at something.
“What?”
“Uh... You should see this, Sergeant.”
“?”
I followed their gaze toward the river.
Or rather, where the river should have been.
‘Huh?’
The view had changed.
The entire scene was dominated by an enormous, black wall—so huge it blocked my sight.
It wasn’t that the world had turned black. No, what filled our view was the colossal wall of the fortress.
* * *
Most of the Awakened who had been freed from the dungeon were still around Chuncheon, though a few had ventured out. Among those who remained, tension had been building ever since strange combat noises were heard coming from the military base.
“What reason would they have for fighting in a building full of soldiers?”
Not much was known to those outside the base. Some guessed it was an internal conflict, perhaps even a coup.
Others speculated that the military base was divided between the officers and the civilians who had joined later. While the officers and soldiers were known to be strong, there were far more civilians among the ranks.
“Unless there’s something special at play, it’s natural for a rift to form between the soldiers and the civilians.”
Most Awakened had come to rely heavily on the military for combat rations, essential to stave off starvation and avoid the risk of turning into monsters by consuming monster meat. This reliance only added to the tension as they tried to interpret the unusual noises from the base.
Then, the soldiers finally emerged, handing out flyers with hastily scribbled messages that drew everyone’s attention.
[Warning]
[Detected a large-scale monster wave approaching from the northwest.]
[An enormous group of monsters is advancing toward the city.]
“What?”
“Monster wave...?”
Some panicked, but others seemed unfazed.
“We know how strong the soldiers are, don’t we?”
“That’s true... and there are thousands of us Awakened here. No monster horde could ever take this city.”
But as the crowd relaxed, someone noticed a line at the bottom of the flyer.
[Our unit will make every effort to hold the area, but success is uncertain. We advise civilians to evacuate to the east if necessary.]
The soldiers couldn’t guarantee victory.
They were advising civilians to flee eastward.
This could only mean one thing.
“No way...”
“They’re saying they might fail against the monster wave?”
The legendary soldiers, known for their strength... could actually lose?
* * *
“So, what do we do now?”
Inside a building on the outskirts of Chuncheon, a group was debating their next move.
Everyone knew the context behind the question.
“Monster wave.” The monsters were coming. What would they do in response?
“I think we should leave,” one man said decisively.
“Leave?” others protested. “You all know how strong those soldiers are.”
“Yeah, I saw them hunting monsters yesterday. They didn’t even look human.”
“I know, but...”
The man moved to the window. “What good is strength?”
Outside, the city lay in ruins, devoid of any defense structures.
“Even if they’re strong, they have no defenses!”
The group sighed. Without any real defenses, the soldiers would be forced into unfavorable battles.
One person suggested, “Why don’t we join the fight? There are so many of us.”
While some might stay, most would probably flee. Without defenses, weaker Awakened would likely be the first to fall. So the conversation drifted back to fleeing eastward, abandoning Chuncheon to the incoming wave.
But then a woman spoke up.
“Go if you want. I’m staying.”
“What? You’re crazy! You’ll die here.”
“I’d rather die fighting than starve elsewhere.”
Everyone understood her point. Even if they survived, they’d be without food, forced to subsist on bland rye bread instead of the nourishing combat rations provided by the military.
“After filling my stomach with combat rations, I can’t go back to that tasteless bread,” she laughed bitterly.
Then, just as tempers flared, an immense sound rumbled from the city’s center.
The awakened bolted upright, startled.
“What the hell was that?” one of them exclaimed.
“Wait... that was the direction the soldiers went, wasn’t it?”
A few of the Awakened began to connect the dots. The military’s warning about the monster wave, the soldiers’ movement, and now this massive sound—could the attack have already begun?
Everyone scrambled to pack their bags, just in case. But as they rushed to leave, one man froze at the window, looking out in shock.
“Hey, look at that...”
“What are you—?”
The entire group turned to the window.
Time seemed to stop as they stared at the sight before them.
After a long silence, the woman who had vowed to stay finally spoke.
“Earlier, didn’t you say the outcome might be different if we had a fortress?”
“Yeah... I did...”
“Then,” she gestured out the window, pointing toward the massive black fortress that loomed over the river.
“With that, don’t you think... we might just have a chance?”
One of the men who had been advocating for an evacuation laughed in disbelief.
“You don’t think they’ll win?”
“I mean...”
“Are you kidding me? We just watched a miracle. That fortress wasn’t here a minute ago. If they can summon something like that, who’s going to lose?”
With a grin, the man set down his bag.
“Everyone, put your bags down. We’ve got nowhere else to go... and I think we’re staying right here.”
