18
Chapter 18
My remark, which pointed out the most crucial omission like a true mage, was completely ignored by my fellow mages.
They all looked at me as if wondering what kind of idiot I was before turning their attention back to the Colonel. The only person who reacted was the exhausted-looking Colonel.
"We will discuss the matter regarding Localized Invasive Structural Alteration later. Any other questions?"
As the Colonel's gaze swept over us, Staff Sergeant Lee Se-jun, who seemed to know the most about the military among us mages, raised his hand.
Even though he was an Operator now and technically a civilian, I could see his lips twitch as if he wanted to state his rank and name, unable to shake off his military habits. However, suppressing it with superhuman willpower driven by his desire to be discharged, Se-jun soon fired off a sharp question.
"Where did South Korea's artillery and air power go? Aside from a single helicopter that came to Suwon Station, I haven't seen a single tank."
That was true. Wasn't our country the type to abandon infantry equipment and go all-in on artillery firepower, to the point it was jokingly called the Republic of Korea Artillery?
Hearing Staff Sergeant Lee Se-jun's question, I also had a realization. No wonder it didn't feel like our country. I briefly thought that if they had just bombarded them earlier, everything would have been over already.
The Colonel's expression, however, was incredibly complicated and subtle.
"Most of the artillery, air power, and tanks currently available to South Korea are deployed to the Seoul Blockade Line, and the military units still stationed in the provinces are being redeployed starting from this Gyeonggi emergency martial law. Approximately 120,000 troops are deployed to the Seoul Blockade Line, and the ROK Armed Forces' logistical capabilities are prioritized on procuring the supplies and equipment they need."
Perhaps knowing full well that we were practically civilians, the Colonel used the screen to explain the reasons why this incident was the most dangerous.
Wait, come to think of it, I am technically a civilian. Fuck....
"However, the most concerning aspect of this incident is that visual observation is nearly impossible. As of January 18th, Seoul is obscured by a massive, thick fog cloud reaching several hundred meters in thickness, making it impossible to identify the inside. This applies equally to the vicinity of the Blockade Line. Furthermore, artillery fire has already been adjusted to zero in on and flatten the outer urban areas near the Seoul Blockade Line."
At that moment, a news article I had casually glanced over came to mind.
There had been reports of artillery fire being heard. According to the Colonel's explanation, this meant the bombardment of Seoul's outskirts had already begun days ago. It was then that the Colonel showed us the weather map from January 10th.
"However, on January 10th, the civilian evacuation—conducted by the ROK Armed Forces and the government in consideration of domestic approval ratings and international public opinion—ended in failure with the Amalgam infiltration attempt, and simultaneously, the fog engulfed the vicinity of the Blockade Line at once. As a result, the military had to focus entirely on confirming the situation of the field units and rescuing them. Thanks to the reconnaissance assets provided by the USA, they were utilizing low-altitude aircraft and fighter jets to rescue the frontline Blockade Units isolated on-site, and even during the Amalgam infiltration incident at Suwon Station, the Air Force prioritized maintaining the Blockade Line."
"So when they said the helicopter was out of ammo..."
"According to the testimony of Major Kang Min-su, who was commanding Suwon Station at the time, it was a frantic request for support made to a nearby helicopter pilot who was returning to the main unit. The actual reports matched this as well."
Along with those words, the Colonel showed us the data footage from that time.
The frontline Blockade Unit had been on the verge of collapsing, and the ROK Armed Forces had apparently focused on maintaining the Blockade Line first rather than preventing the breakthrough at Suwon Station.
Just as he said, in the photos, the Blockade Unit was wielding CBRN Protective Suits that weren't at Suwon Station and even flamethrowers they should never have had to touch, working in two-man teams to prevent the Monsters from approaching.
The sight of the ROK soldiers relentlessly firing flamethrowers at the melting-faced Monsters across hastily laid barbed wire was less brave and more desperately tragic.
Scenes of flashes bursting through the fog as it billowed from the artillery fire were also captured; it looked so bright that it seemed as if they were determined to bomb it back to the Stone Age.
"It goes without saying, but the blockade operation over the past 12 days has imposed a tremendous level of fatigue on a military that has already been working hard to stop the Amalgam for about a month. The equipment fatigue caused by the fog and consecutive fierce battles cannot be ignored either. Furthermore, when they utilized artillery and air power to blockade the ground, the attempt to breakthrough via the subway using refugees put the command on edge. The vast majority of the tanks are being used to maintain this Blockade Line, deployed as reserves for that purpose, while the rest will maintain their stations to prepare for the safety and potential instability of rear strongholds."
"If I understand correctly... you Soldiers seem to think that these Monsters called Amalgam are learning human tactics."
"That is correct."
The Colonel nodded to Monk Cheong-hwi, who had opened his mouth in place of the now-silent Lee Se-jun.
He then used his pointer to bring up the next slide, which featured that rib-cage bone Monster I had seen the moment we escaped Suwon Station.
That bizarre Monster with pale eyes in a human head, its spine stretching out like a long centipede and using its ribs as legs. The Colonel tapped the Monster's photo as he explained.
"Designated Species No. 2. Autonomous Spine Extractor. On-site, it is colloquially known as the Predatory Spine."
It was the same name mentioned in the document folder of timelines I held in my hand.
The Colonel stated he would only explain this verbally, fiercely warning us not to leak any information since the very existence and ecology of this Monster were classified as a Level 3 secret. Only then did I realize that, aside from the two Soldiers standing guard outside the conference room, there was no one else around.
"This Monster has a sharp, pointed reproductive organ at the end of its tail-like spine that acts as a blade and a needle. It usually lies in ambush outside the victim's field of vision, such as on ceilings or pipes, then severs the lower part of the victim's spine to paralyze their lower body before piercing the spine and injecting its own bodily fluids to reproduce."
"..."
I involuntarily smacked my lips to get the bad taste out of my mouth.
Wondering if I had misheard, I looked around, but everyone wore the same dumbfounded expression I did.
"Furthermore, the infected victim's spine and skull are reborn as an independent entity with its own will or instincts. It feeds on the host's internal organs and manipulates their nerve signals to control them; once the host's durability is depleted, it tears its way out and lies in wait again, continuing its life cycle in this manner."
The Colonel quickly switched the screen back to an intact map of the Korean Peninsula, as if afraid someone might see, and added a few more words.
"Thanks to their photosensitivity, as of the 18th, after power was restored to Suwon Station, we have eliminated three discovered individuals through effective sweep operations. The current protocol is to blockade Suwon Station Underground and monitor the situation."
It was almost terrifying how he knew all that, but I didn't bother asking.
People shouldn't try to know too much. The brain has a limited capacity, and I didn't want to cram such a horrific backstory into mine. The Colonel didn't try to force it into our heads either.
To summarize the rest of the conversation:
1. Lee Se-jun asked: Why doesn't South Korea use things like flamethrowers or liquid nitrogen?
A. They have already been fully deployed to the frontline Blockade Units. Fuel-type flamethrowers with significant stopping power and firepower were retired from the ROK Armed Forces' weapon systems long ago. As a result, only 30,000 units were mobilized by reissuing previously stockpiled supplies, all of which went straight to the frontline Blockade Units.
Specialized CBRN units and engineering units have all been deployed or are currently being deployed to the Seoul Blockade Line. Lightweight infantry equipment for maintaining the cryogenic temperatures of liquid nitrogen does not exist in the ROK military's standard inventory, meaning they are busy designing it from scratch. Moreover, it has clear limitations in open areas, so the combat doctrine has been established to maximize the use of existing conventional weapons that are immediately available.
He said he would explain later why the use of incendiary and white phosphorus rounds was restricted.
2. Pastor Park Yo-han asked: How on earth did they pull off such flawless information control?
A. The AI technology that had been booming lately truly shone. During the careful relocation of Seoul's base stations and data centers to the rear, they used data network instability as an excuse to block connections, preventing the citizens of Seoul from panicking. They also used trained AIs to post on communities and news sites so the citizens wouldn't realize they were cut off from the outside world, successfully preventing a massive outbreak of people fleeing Seoul.
And finally, Shin Na-in said the words that everyone had harbored in their hearts but dared not speak.
"They're people possessed by the power of Satan and demons anyway, so can't we just nuke them? The people of Seoul didn't seem very devout anyway, so this is divine punishment, right?"
At that, Pastor Park Yo-han freaked out and desperately stopped him.
"No... Brother Shin Na-in, what are you saying..."
"Jesus told us to save the lambs, but He never said anything about saving the goats."
Only then did the explaining Colonel step aside, and another Colonel made his appearance.
He was a man wearing elegant glasses with pronounced smile lines, and his name was Min Beom-jun.
"Nice to meet you, Civilian Operators. I am Colonel Min Beom-jun, affiliated with the Joint Chiefs of Staff Nuclear Response Center, and I have trained with the US chemical units."
Colonel Min Beom-jun quietly nodded and signaled to the Colonel who had removed his nametag, then took the pointer and changed the slide on the screen.
"I will now explain the currently anticipated scenarios to you Civilian Operators..."
***
Colonel Min Beom-jun gave three main reasons why it was difficult to strike Seoul with nuclear weapons.
First.
"South Korea does not have nuclear weapons. We would have to persuade a nuclear state to launch them, but there are few countries willing to accept the international condemnation and public backlash that would follow."
Hearing this, Shin Na-in pulled out his earphones and beat his chest in indignation, letting out a groan of anguish.
"This is exactly why our country needs to have nukes... If we had them, we would have nuked Seoul already!"
He wasn't wrong, but he was being a total asshole...
Colonel Min Beom-jun left Shin Na-in to his wailing about how we needed nuclear sovereignty to nuke Seoul, and moved on to the second reason.
"Second. Since it has been confirmed that Designated Species No. 3, the Degenerative Cell Cluster, has infiltrated the sewer network, striking only the surface of Seoul would not be effective in eradicating these Monster clusters. Therefore, to eliminate the Monster clusters in Seoul, we would need to strike deep enough to reach the underground cavities and sewer networks."
Click. Click.
Colonel Min Beom-jun clicked the pointer a few times before presenting a truly shocking calculation.
"To do that, we would have to divide Seoul into three zones and detonate three 1-megaton Hydrogen Bombs on the surface to completely vitrify the area. Naturally, this would cause catastrophic aftereffects."
The next screen showed a map of the Korean Peninsula.
The only difference was that it had the wind directions drawn on it. Colonel Min Beom-jun pointed to the arrows indicating the wind direction with his laser pointer and continued speaking.
"If three Hydrogen Bombs were to detonate on the surface, a powerful electromagnetic pulse, an EMP, would be generated, temporarily disabling all medical and electronic equipment near the Blockade Line. However, the most critical factor is the fallout; the estimated radiation dose rate emitted from the center of Seoul, where the three Hydrogen Bombs would explode, would be up to 300 sieverts per hour. That far exceeds the lethal threshold for instant death. Furthermore..."
By now, everyone understood without needing a word.
The arrows indicating the wind direction were diagonal, pointing from the northwest to the southeast.
"January is a period when the northwest wind blows strongly due to the northwest monsoon. We are currently being extremely cautious in our operations to prevent the spread of secondary fires caused by incendiary or white phosphorus rounds, taking this monsoon into account. But if the fallout from three Hydrogen Bombs were to spread on this monsoon wind, it would reach Busan in at least 12 hours. The Gyeonggi region would face instant death, the Chungcheong region would face lethal doses, and the Gyeongsang region would not escape severe radiation sickness."
Colonel Min Beom-jun said calmly, standing at ease.
"Therefore, the USA, which has been briefed on the truth regarding the current Seoul incident, and China, which has caught on, are manipulating the international community by pushing their own separate agendas."
First, the stance of South Korea's ally, the USA, is as follows:
Are you sure they'll disappear if you nuke them? What if they get stronger or develop resistance like Godzilla after being nuked? More importantly, is there a guarantee they won't pop up somewhere else if you blow up Seoul? And the fallout will pour down on Japan, is that okay?
Let's research this first. Conduct reconnaissance. We'll provide support.
And the stance of our not-so-friendly neighbor, China, was this:
Bullshit. If that spills over, will you take responsibility, USA? First off, we have plenty of islands on the west coast, so shove the people we can evacuate there and just nuke the place. Then they'll have nowhere to go but North Korea, and since North Korea is completely barren anyway, they'll have nowhere to hide. We can just use them as a buffer zone and bombard them to sterilize the area, right?
South Korea, that's how it is. People who need to live must live. You guys have a low birth rate anyway, so let's just accelerate that for the sake of humanity.
"The government is currently attempting to use the reconnaissance data from inside the fog, the information regarding Magic Runes, and the knowledge we've acquired about Localized Invasive Structural Alteration as bargaining chips to secure support and ensure our survival between these two great powers."
It probably wasn't my imagination that the end of Colonel Min Beom-jun's nonchalant voice trembled slightly.
Considering my newly normalized dopamine receptors were getting fried again, it went without saying how much shock the others must have felt.
Without realizing it, I found myself tapping my dry lips with my index finger.
"So that's the reason you're so desperate to maintain the Seoul Blockade Line. If the blockade fails..."
"Yes. Regardless of South Korea's stance, nukes will be dropped in accordance with the interests of the neighboring countries."
***
Coming out of the conference room, everyone headed in different directions with their souls completely drained from their faces.
Looking at First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi, who was about to take me back to the hospital, I couldn't help but ask.
"Did you know?"
"Haha..."
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi helped me back into the van with an exhausted smile.
"I told you. Everyone who wanted to bail has left, and now the only ones remaining are..."
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi signaled the sharp-witted Driver to step away for a moment, then took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with a Lighter. Both his hand and his complexion were incredibly pale.
"Just the people who will either die or survive together with this country."
End