Fallen Lightbringers' Return

"Our abilities?" Hwa Endo looked at the screaming Lee Dojin. She then faced the numerous dolls, now clad in blood again. She grit her teeth. "Fuck, I don't have any other choice, do I? Snowbreeze," she yelled, her cheeks red. Even with all this going on, it was a bit embarrassing having to shout the attack name, like a middle-school boy with a dream.

However, there was no one who mocked her, as they a dozen crystalized snowflakes flying towards a doll and evicerating it.

Zheng Yunhe exhaled audibly. He laughed in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me." What had become of this world? If he was still in the military, fighting against people like her, he would not have lasted long enough to retire. "Step back, dear," he told his wife, as a two dolls appeared in front of him. His arm glowed a pale yellow, and he chopped down on their necks, perfectly cutting it in half.

Lee Dojin watched those two move. He breathed out. "That's more like it," he muttered. Obviously, the fights from now on would be designed with their abilities in mind. If they did not use them, then every battle would be an uneccesary harsh one. He paid his attention away from the survivors, looking at his own group.

Park Wonho stopped moving. He glanced around, seeing people one after another use some weird supernatural power. He cocked his head away. Though he knew survival was slim without these, how could he just use some unkown strength granted by presumably someone that wanted him dead? Even if he survived here, what would become of him afterward? What if he were to turn into a monster, just like these dolls?

The young girl saw Park Wonho hesitating. She had come to the conclusion that this guy, even though he was so big, appeared to be stuck within his thoughts quite often. She tugged at his trousers, trying to get him moving, but Wonho did not budge. She started pouting, then faced the dolls herself.

"Ah, wait, don't walk of alone," Wonho shouted, snapping out his daze.

The young girl did not listen, as she stomped forward. She lifted both her hands and closed her eyes. "Mom, please come help me."

Park Wonho, who was about to pull her back, as he looked up, and saw that around the girl, an unfamiliar  woman materialzed in front of her. The woman was big in size. She wore a white mask, and had long black hair that draped over her whole body. In her hands, their were two long swords each, and with her dimensions these blades had the same length of an average human male.

Wonho stopped in his steps, blindsided by the new monstrosity that had apepared. He watched as that woman swung its sword, hacking through each and every doll, protecting the little girl.

"So the first one to use their ability was the young girl, that is unexpected." Lee Dojin showed up right behind Wonho, scaring him to death. "What an interesting ability she has, though. It's rare to see a summoning type. I wonder what her Affinity is. Ghost? Demon? Or maybe Mother?"

If he guessed correctly, her Affinity, as it gained more skills and grew stronger, would actually aide the creature she summoned, not her. 

He remembered, within the people who survived until the last 100, there was his friend, Li Wanfei, who also had a summoning Affinity, and her first ever skill called forth an ancient battle-ax, and every skill that came simply upgraded that ax. She had to boost herself with the Arts, and often complained about that fact.

That young girl appeared to have a similar principle—if she really had a summoning-type Affinity, of course.

"Uh, Dojin," Wonho voiced out.

Lee Dojin looked at him with a carefree smile. "So, when will you activate yours?"

Wonho squinted his eyes. With Dojin urging him, and even a little girl outdoing him, it did not seem like he had a real choice. "Fine, I'll activate it" he said with a sigh. Promptly, a metallic sheen seemed to have enveloped his body, making it as hard as steel. He bulldozed through the dolls, their jsaws breaking on his body, leaving not even a scratch.

"Oh, Shield? Metal? No, maybe Mountain? Tank could be possible too, seeing his size." Lee Dojin rubbed his chin. "It's hard to say, since so many Affinities have similar powers. But the skill is definitely Physical Strengthening." He shrugged his shoulders. It did suit that Wonho though, he thought. With this, he did not have to fear being hurt that easily. Well, it wasn't like he was easy to be hurt in the first place; It was more of a confidence issue for that guy, Lee Dojin deduced. 

Hansoo, the rich kid, stopped wildly swinging his bat. No, he let his weapons fall to the ground, as he activated his skill, "Grab!" And he moved fast, almost like a flash, as he caught a doll by its head and ripped it clean off.

".. .That guys' Affinity is definitely Greed." Lee Dojin nodded by himself. A few dolls appeared next to him, and he beat them without even looking. "What a complicated choice," he talked to himself again. 

Park Hansoo had a skill that belonged in a Series. These types of Affinities were special, as when they worked together with people from the same series, their skills would actually synergise, allowing attacks several times stronger than usual.

He remembered this Affinity as it was part of the Seven Sins Series, and would alter be well-known across the world.

—Pride (S), Wrath (A), Envy (B), Greed(C), Gluttony (D), Sloth, (E), Lust (F).

Those were the seven Affinities related to the Seven Sins. In the later times, when Guilds would start existing, the Seven Sins guild would be known as one of the strongest, with only people part of the series being members. He himself did not remember what would happen if they all came together though.

At the beginning, Lee Dojin had stated there existed only ranks as low as E. That was because an F rank did not actually inherit any skills. They existed only as a filler for a Series, and the bearer of that Affinity could only exert strength when together with their Series.

Though if they ever gathered the whole series together, they'd gain powers even somewhat exceeding the S-rank.

"Life will either be really harsh, or a smooth sailing, depending on what he chooses to be in the future," Lee Dojin said, as he watched Park Hansoo blissfully killing the dolls. It seems the boy in question hadn't realized the predicaemnt he put himself in. "Well, putting aside that PE teacher, there's still one left."

The barista, In-Su, grabbed a the leg of a chair, dropped by Zheng Yunhe, and turned it into a katana in his hand. He swung down on a doll, cutting through half of its head, as it fell to the ground. Elated, he threw his hands in the air, as he finally was able to fight back.

"Watch out, dumbass," a feminine voice shouted behind him, and as he turned around, he saw a doll, with its jaw unhinged, infintely close to his face. It fell down, lifelessly, beaten by Kim Jyejin. "Honestly you guys, don't get distracted just because you've beaten one or two monsters."

Kim Jyejin had her hands in her pocket with an irritated expreession. Surrounding her there was neither doll or human. Everyone held a few meters distance from her, and that was because below her feet, there was a dark mysterious force, swinging whip-like objects (they moved too fast to tell what exactly they were) around, eviscerating anything remotely close-by.

Lee Dojins brows shot up. "Another interesting one. I can't tell what Affinity and skill it is at all." He nodded in satisfaction. It was good he let them fight on their own. He had hoped they'd gain some experience from this, or at least not fear using their skills.

"The dolls are retreating," Zheng Yunhe shouted, and everyone cheered loudly. There were only a dozen left. They stood no chance after the survivors started using their abilities.

Lee Dojin flashed to the front. It was time to end this. Through the help of Devas Dance and Cosmic Steps, he flashed through the dolls and completely massacred them one-sidedly. The survivors only watched in awe, as the things they had such a hard time with, didn't even make Lee Dojin break a sweat.

After the last doll had perished, the survivors fell to the ground, their knees buckling. Every single one of them breathed heavily. "We are alive.. ." Someone muttered. Though he could not be happy.

With the people that had died and even more so that defected, they were now only 12 people—such a small number, it was countable with a single glance.

They all held a somber mood. Even with their survival, looking at the state of MyeongDong, the world appeared bleak. It felt like they were fighting against a hopeless outcome. The atmosphere weighted heavily on them.

"Is there a point to all this," In-Su threw his weapon to the ground. He curled up, tears silently flowing out his eyes.

Kang Soomin patted his back. She held no words of consolation. No, her face looked just as bitter. They did not ask for this, yet they were here. It did not seem like they could leave anytime soon, and their objective seemed night impossible. Even if they ever escaped the dungeon, could they ever re-adapt to the other world.

Hansoo gasped heavily, as he held rested on his knees. Sweat dropped down his chin, and his eyes had lost its light. His thoughts were a mystery.

"Damn it," Yunhe stomped on one of the dead dolls. "What boss? Do they think our life is worth nothing? We don't even know what the boss looks like. Fuck! Fuck!"

Suddenly, another mall rumbled. They all looked into that direction, a cruel premonition welluing up from deep inside their hearts, as despair scooted closer.

".. .Not again."

The survivors faces turned blank as a sheet, as one doll after another came out. No one took a weapon. They could not do this anymore.

Out of the blue, Lee Dojin phased in front of the dolls, destroying each and everyone of them, shocking everybody greatly. The dolls didn't even have enough time to walk out, as they were broken by his fists.

He turned around, looking at the grief-stricken group. "There is. A point to all this. The point is to live. It is to survive. To live. To see the other day, no matter how harsh it may be." He grinned, his canines showing. "Even before the guide came, we lived our life, not knowing its meaning. Yet, we continue striding, as that is what makes us human. We need no Mirage or Guide to show us how to live. Because unlike everyone else believes, we are not weak." He clenched his fists and turned around, stepping into the barque building. "Humanity will always hold the will to walk forward, even if without hope—as this is what binds our existence. For this belief, I stake my everything on it."

Now, the only one that had not used their new skill was him.

[Novas' End]

"I wanna see, how will you keep sending the dolls if I destroy the factory?" Lee Dojin laughed loudly, and the doors closed behind him.