Triangular Flight (Part 2)
Suyeon, idly touching her lips, asked once more.
"Is it because of people?"
I shook my head.
"No. Because of all living things."
This answer left even Suyeon, who had asked the question, and Kyung-tae, who had been listening intently, taken aback. The two of them were only now grasping the sheer scale of the changes I anticipated.
"Looks like magic isn't humanity's exclusive domain after all."
"Right. More precisely, it's primitive magic."
"Primitive magic?"
"It'll manifest as specialized superhuman abilities on the surface. Most awakenings will show up as enhancements to life itself, plus some minor peripheral powers."
Manifesting magic requires circuits to convert Mana Essence into mana power. These circuits are etched into the soul. In environments rich with Mana Essence, souls can naturally open circuits through friction with it.
But none of those circuits can be as refined as mine...
Too much Mana Essence is a problem too. In such vast, turbulent flows, etching high-density circuits is impossible. So primitive circuits might surpass me in raw energy volume, but they'll leak and waste power, lacking complexity.
I'd guess the effectively usable energy ratio falls short of 1% in most cases. That creates an insurmountable gap between veteran mages like me and the newly awakened—something effort alone can't bridge.
I laid all this out for the two of them. Slowly, calmly, letting the words form naturally.
The faint sunset outside seeped into the empty glass as I drained and refilled it. Even to my extraordinary eyes, it was a beautiful light.
Kyung-tae, staring blankly at his glass, scratched his head.
"Aigoo, I get the gist, but it's hard to picture. Humans aside, you mean stuff like wild boars gets way more dangerous?"
I tilted my head.
"There are plenty of other creatures—why boars specifically?"
"Just the first thing that popped up. They wander into neighborhoods all the time, right? Crashing into convenience stores or cars—it's even on the news. If those turn into superpowered boars? Yeah, people could get hurt or killed. Haha."
Hm.
"You're not wrong, but considering total damage, there are worse culprits. Species with a direct motive to attack humans."
"Like what?"
"Like—" I thought of the animal that kills the most humans worldwide. "—mosquitoes."
"Huh? Mosquitoes?"
"Yeah."
I popped a petrified olive and downed a sip of champagne before continuing.
"It's an extreme example, but imagine a world where mosquitoes shrug off insecticides and rip through screens by force. Sounds pretty fucked, right?"
"Holy shit."
Kyung-tae looked horrified.
"They won't swarm like that, will they?"
"I said it's extreme."
"Then...?"
"Awakening probability and power scale with biomass and lifespan. The odds of a mosquito getting that strong are slim. Differences between species too."
Mosquito souls are tiny. Small souls in small bodies mean limited exposure surface area—and thus small circuits.
But.
The problem is numbers.
Maybe it was the champagne loosening my thoughts, but they veered unproductive for a moment.
How many mosquitoes are there? Fermi estimation it is.
Mosquitoes live everywhere except the poles—deserts, Siberia, you name it. Just density varies. Earth's land area minus poles: about 130 million square kilometers? Averaging deserts, swamps, grasslands at one per five square meters...
2.6 trillion.
Even a one-in-ten-thousand awakening rate spits out 260 million super-mosquitoes overnight. And it repeats every generation. Felt numbers will be way higher.
Inaccurate as this estimate is, the implications are huge. If the Mana Essence flood isn't resolved soon, humanity faces that world ahead. From lowly mosquitoes up, every living environment turns alien and savage.
Kyung-tae rubbed his dry face.
"Should I dump my stocks...?"
Suyeon, jotting notes, furrowed her brow.
"Out of left field. Why stocks all of a sudden?"
"Future world economy's looking shaky in a bad way."
"..."
Consistent guy.
"What'd you buy?"
He answered.
"Celltrion."
"Profits?"
"Losses. Yeouido Kim tipped me off end of '21—yolo'd at 200k, still holding. Shoulda sold at 300k like he said, but greed kicked in watching it climb..."
"Your fault."
"Yeah, mine."
Kyung-tae looked glum. Yeouido Kim handles my domestic assets—apparently shared tips with him too.
"Don't rush."
"Huh?"
"Everything I said assumes prolonged flooding."
If it ends quick... Mana Essence won't vanish instantly, but chaos stays mild. Bear market? Buy the dip—normalcy returns soon. Prediction, anyway.
"So watch and wait?"
"Yes."
I topped off their glasses. Bottle now empty.
Kyung-tae eyed the brimming champagne—"Whoa!"—and slurped it down. Holding back so I'd drink more, the booze hound. Suyeon even more so.
Screw it. Expensive booze or not.
The rich lemon-butter madeleine paired perfectly with champagne—its crisp chill cutting the oily softness.
Suyeon, watching me sip, spoke carefully.
"Somehow, it feels like you're not thrilled about this crisis, hyungnim."
Sharp observer.
I admitted my unease freely.
"Right."
"No way... Huh? Why?"
Kyung-tae blinked, a beat late.
"Can't you blast abilities full-throttle without sacrificing those doomed bastards anymore?"
"Soon enough."
"Soon? Not now?"
"Too much Mana Essence."
To unleash my potential, I need to tune my circuit to the new environment. Max output first? Body disintegrates at cellular level or turns vegetable. Like an overvolted circuit frying.
Even idle now, it's under light load.
Kyung-tae couldn't hide his confusion.
"Still, you'll be way stronger than before— what's the issue?"
"Of course there is. The bastards in London get stronger too."
London bastards: my ex-mentor's old comrades.
Suyeon nodded beside the spacing Kyung-tae.
"Didn't think that far... You said before they'd never cross paths unless you sought the shadows till death."
"Back then, yes. Just fossils clinging to past glory."
Not anymore. London's starving mages, gasping on depleted Mana Essence, will seize vast power soon. Looted knowledge and relics from their endless empire.
I spat with mild irritation.
"My mentor... that fucking white bastard's messes with them—and me—can't be undone. Collision's inevitable. A long, dangerous, exhausting war."
The prosthetic eyes he gouged into my sockets—Golden Age's Eye—London imperialists' prized relic. Ripping them out to return? Instant circuit rupture death.
Thinking of that bastard dredged orphanage-era bile.
Ha. Fucker.
Suyeon asked.
"Impossible to hide from those 'London' eyes?"
I answered flatly.
"Possible, but luck's realm."
"..."
"Don't want that. Better fight all-in than cower forever."
Till one side's obliterated.
Memories he implanted: their vile supremacist views, atrocities. To them, like him, I'm an ape mimicking human. No imperialist negotiates with apes. No value in deals or coexistence.
"Trust me—they vanishing benefits you, everyone. Left alone, they'll devour the world like cancer."
I reined in my emotions. Tone had roughened unnoticed. Rare slip—except about mentor and imperial scum.
Silence fell over the table. Bar music and muffled chatter swirled chaotically.
Kyung-tae drained his half-empty glass, shrugged.
"World this, world that—who cares. Our job's the same: kill on your order, die on yours. Right?"
My eyes habitually scanned his brain. No deception in prefrontal cortex or amygdala. Loyal dog, literally—tail-wagging faithful. Sometimes maniacal. That's why 160-million-won champagne's worth it.
"Hey, hyungnim."
"Yeah?"
"Lotsa snacks left—another bottle? Not crazy expensive this time."
"Do what you want."
"Thanks!"
Flipping the collection book, he pointed.
"This?"
"What?"
"Pol Roger 2000 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill."
"..."
Pol Roger: Churchill's favorite. Still sells Churchill-labeled bottles. Churchill—no direct mage ties, but ideologically repulsive imperialist pig.
Kyung-tae chuckled at our stares.
"Feeling better?"
I clicked my tongue lightly.
"...Booze ain't guilty."
"Haha! Thanks, hyungnim!"
He ordered pronto. Better than Goût Américain salvaged from a century-old wreck. Design? Gaudy. Churchill's foil-stamped mug gleamed green under lights.
Amid it, Kyung-tae turned, stifled a deep belch.
Amusing.
After, we focused on eating and drinking quietly. Half deliberate.
Suyeon steadily cleared plates—no need for a third bottle.
Kyung-tae eyed empties.
"Better head out than drink more here? Lau Pa Sat night market should open soonish."
Greedy at first, now sated on pricey bubbly.
Manager, hovering discreetly, relaxed post-bill. Escorted us out, urging return.
En route to market, Kyung-tae asked Suyeon.
"Hey, noona."
"Yeah?"
"Wondered forever: why call hyungnim 'hyungnim' when you're a girl?"
"Wanna."
"Gotcha."
Suyeon flipped it.
"Call him oppa then?"
Kyung-tae blanked, scratched head.
"Uh, nah—that's weird."
Chat shifted trivial. Slow walk: 40 minutes to famed Lau Pa Sat.
Barricaded street with tables—nothing special, but Kyung-tae beamed, ordering beer instantly. Suyeon munched quietly.
Well... such normalcy might vanish soon. Meaningful, in its way.
Back at hotel around 11, stuffed and buzzed.
"Rest well, hyungnim."
"Sweet dreams tonight!"
Suyeon first, Kyung-tae saluting behind, tipsy-happy.
"Yeah. Night."
Split in hall; entered my room, sighed heavily at dimly lit bed.