19
Chapter 19
I rolled around on the hospital bed, enjoying a rare moment of rest.
I had experienced every possible stimulus a person could feel in a lifetime over the past few days. With my brain feeling like it was melting, I needed some leisurely rest to find physical and mental stability.
And I knew how to quickly find a sense of stability within a repetitive daily routine.
Tap, tap.
Tapping on my cracked phone screen, I connected to the still-active internet and saw articles full of all sorts of speculations and rumors. Maintaining the portal sites might be South Korea's last shred of pride.
First, I skimmed through the headline articles showing the real-time catastrophic situation in South Korea.
[Monster Revealed at Suwon Station, Ripple Effects Spreading... Government Announces Imminent Major Declaration]
[Korean Trade Ship Denied Port Entry? Experts Warn of Severe Crisis in Global Economy, Urging Preparedness...]
[First US-China Summit Collapses Over Seoul Riots... Details Not Yet Disclosed.]
[Martial Law Declared in Major Metropolitan Cities... Tensions Between Citizens and Martial Law Army at Breaking Point]
Among these, I clicked on a moderately eye-catching article.
[Government Freezes Accounts to Block Overseas Remittances. Preparing to Recover Foreign Assets?]
True to the hot-off-the-press article, it was filled with heated comments.
[Hey you motherless bastards~~~~]
[Any traitorous bastards who didn't all-in on the KOSDAQ but dumped money into places like the US market???]
[You fucker, the KOSDAQ got circuit breakered, what kind of traitors are you talking about?]
[What circuit breaker... the exchange got wiped out, what KOSDAQ? Just go to a factory and get your rations.]
[Mom I was wrong I'll just save and work]
People say that as the 21st century digitized, we lost our human touch and affection, but look at this.
They babble about society being cold, but it's just because they haven't seen the passionate cries of these fiery souls beyond the screen. Me, Baek Jemin, a guy who achieved nothing by 28, lost 1 million won after dabbling in the Heroes app once, and never touched stocks again, couldn't miss out on this flame war.
[Cut off the traitors draining national wealth!!! If you're a South Korean, please only invest in the KOSDAQ!]
Step 1. Restore the spark of humanity through internet article comments.
I finally realized once again that my heart was warm.
After this, the next step was checking the group chat. I decided to send a message to the guys I usually gamed with to check if they were alive. Since we've known each other for a long time, I decided to pass on some genuine pro tips.
[I saw a monster. Pro tip.]
Then the number next to it disappeared, and replies came flying in.
[Whoa Jemin is alive???]
[Hyung, more importantly, a monster? Are those monsters at Suwon Station real?]
These bastards must have been sent to the rear; their luck is disgustingly good. Well, being in a group chat with someone like me who has actual combat experience tends to bring good fortune.
I willingly shared information for the sake of these friends.
[If you see one and feel like you can't stop it from breaking through, just shove the barrel of a gun in your mouth and pull the trigger.]
[Typing...]
[Fuck you]
"Phew. Ungrateful bastards even when I tell them something."
Step 2. Confirm life or death through group chat messages with acquaintances.
They must have some serious bad luck, but they were surviving just fine even in this mess. I doubt an Amalgam would be holding a phone and tapping out replies. When a person is pessimistic, they are endlessly pessimistic, and when optimistic, endlessly optimistic.
I always knew how to live my life enjoying inner peace.
Only then did I finally feel like making a call I had been putting off for a while. When I went to the home screen to dial, the time suddenly caught my eye.
January 22nd, 3:01 PM.
Since the stitches in my left hand were removed, the talkative doctor had told me that while some loss of grip strength was unavoidable, the damage to my nerve endings meant I should be careful, as the pain could recur if I overexerted myself or got stressed.
In other words, this meant that under stress or in extreme situations, simply stimulating my left hand without any additional self-harm would be enough to cover the pain required for a Stage 2 spell.
I lamented the fact that I couldn't share this joyous news with anyone, and instead channeled this joy into dialing a familiar number.
A moment later, after a few rings, an urgent voice came through.
[Jemin, is that you?]
"Yeah, Mom."
[You... you should be the one calling! Do you know how many days it's been since you last contacted me?!]
"No... but come on, I'm in the military here. It's not like I can use the phone freely."
I was a civilian and had relatively plenty of free time, so I could have called if I wanted to, but the truth that it just hadn't crossed my mind would only make things awkward, so I made up a plausible excuse.
My mother seemed to have caught on to the excuse, but it was such a perfect alibi that she couldn't press the issue, only groaning before pouring out a stream of complaints.
[Everyone's in an uproar lately. People in our neighborhood are out on the streets protesting, and there are rumors that the Martial Law Army fired guns. No one's died yet, but the atmosphere is ominous. And amidst all that, something like a monster appeared...]
Now that I thought about it, it wasn't nagging; she just needed somewhere to vent.
I did my best to endure this long ordeal with the utmost sincerity, using rhetoric like Yeah, Uh-huh, and Really?. After being tormented for about ten minutes, my mother finally brought up something else.
[They said something big happened at Suwon Station, what about you? Are you in Suwon too?]
At that moment, instead of answering right away, I turned my head and looked around the hospital room.
People groaning and hovering between life and death after losing a limb, and Mr. Lee Dae-min, who showed the minor consideration of snorting and plugging in his earphones the moment our eyes met.
Finally, after taking in the entire view of the cityscape under the clear sky and heavy atmosphere beyond the hospital window sill, my mouth opened.
"I'm in Yongin, so I'm still okay. They say they're strengthening security around here too, but nothing major like Suwon has happened."
[Phew... okay, that's a relief at least. Should I put your dad on?]
"Yeah."
Along with the sound of my mother calling my father, a brief silence fell.
Still, perhaps because his son had contacted him for the first time in a while, my father picked up quickly.
[Is that Jemin?]
"Yes. Dad."
[Why the sudden formal title? You used to call me Dad.]
"Just because."
[Nonsense.]
"I'll move somewhere else and call you back."
[Mm. Alright.]
Thankfully, at least both my legs were fine. I grabbed my phone, avoided people's attention and interest, holed up in the bathroom, and only after confirming no one was there, I carefully adjusted the volume and called back.
[Yeah. I got it. So.]
"It's not that. Didn't anyone contact you or Mom to tell you to evacuate somewhere?"
What was the biggest reason I became a Civilian Operator in the first place?
It was because of the promise that they would guarantee the overseas relocation or evacuation to the safest place for my parents, who were living moderately well in Daejeon. I'm not doubting First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi as a Soldier, but I couldn't trust South Korea, which would be nuked if the containment failed.
To my question filled with such worries, my father answered in a calm voice.
[It did. It looked like Spam at first glance, so I hung up.]
"What about in person? Didn't anyone come looking for you?"
[Soldiers came and asked how about evacuating, telling us to come to the military base first. They told us to go to Pyeongtaek Port, but I refused everything.]
"Why?"
[Why? Where would I go leaving my house behind?]
It seemed I had underestimated my parents' homebody tendencies too much.
It's a short life, but from experience, persuading older people who have made a firm decision with logic is a very difficult task. First of all, they have their own knowledge, and it's an undeniable fact that my experience is often lacking.
And my father was the frustrating type who would simply refuse to listen, so he wouldn't care no matter how logical and academic the explanation was.
So I gave up on persuading them to evacuate and decided to get different permission.
"Father, something I want to do has come up."
[Something you want to do? In this situation right now?]
"Yes. Something I truly want to risk my life to achieve."
[....]
I don't know what my father was thinking.
What was certain was the fact that across this cracked phone screen, there was a passionate exchange of emotions that only a father and son could feel. To drive the point home, I decided to add a few more words.
"I was lucky enough to be able to get you and Mom evacuated, but I'm worried that if you two stay here, I won't be able to give it my all because I'll be thinking about you."
[...You rascal, what kind of parents leave their child behind and run away?]
"There are plenty."
[You called me Dad, but is that how you saw me?]
And after a long sigh, my father answered with a somewhat choked-up voice.
[Alright. If a man has a resolve, he should know how to risk his life for it.]
"Dad...!"
[How can I stop my son when he says he wants to serve the country. You fool. Right. Come to think of it, our family has served the nation for generations...]
"I'll come back when I become an Archmage!"
[Hey, you little bastard. You're really...]
Click.
Permission granted. I immediately turned off my phone, finally feeling a sense of liberation as if the last lock in my heart had been undone.
Now, nothing can stop me.
I walked straight toward the hospital room. Even in this urgent situation, walking calmly and orderly without bumping into anyone or running was proof of just how moral and sensible I was.
And while lying on the hospital bed, I calmly pressed the nurse call button.
After a while, the talkative doctor came to visit, likely as a form of special treatment.
"How many times are you going to press the nurse call button?"
"Doctor, I want to be discharged."
At those words, the relaxed smile on the talkative doctor's face twisted into the face of a demon.
"Mr. Baek Jemin, I've told you repeatedly—the fact that your thumb didn't fly off when you shot your left hand, and that you only ended up with this after searing your hand with a red-hot barrel, is a blessing from your ancestors. You must remain hospitalized until early February while we monitor your condition."
"Then I'll be fully recovered."
"Are you here to respawn at the hospital, Mr. Baek Jemin?"
"Doctor, just calm down and listen to my explanation."
For the benefit of the doctor, who knew nothing of magic, I provided a brief and precise summary.
"My left hand needs to throb so I can stare down my opponents and stop them."
"If something starts twitching in your left hand, don't stare anyone down; stay in the hospital and get prescribed antibiotics and painkillers, Mr. Baek Jemin."
"Ugh..."
This is why I shouldn't associate with ordinary folk who don't understand magic.
A doctor born into an elite family who spent his school years studying, went to university to study, and spent his residency studying could not possibly understand this kind of gritty, street-level magic.
But I had a phone number ready for exactly this kind of situation.
As soon as the talkative doctor left, I immediately used my secret weapon.
[Yes, Operator Baek Jemin.]
"First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi, please get me out of here."
***
January 23rd, 9:12 AM.
After successfully completing my discharge with First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi, I was instead required to return in a week for a follow-up check.
I usually make it a rule to ignore the orders of those weaker than me, but since the talkative doctor looked stronger than me in a man-to-man fight without magic or guns, I decided to obey.
Upon arriving at the Suwon City Hall CP, I could see familiar faces wandering about.
I heard singing coming from somewhere, so I followed the Lieutenant and peeked through a slightly open door to find a group of Christians.
"Jesus has come~ into my heart~."
"Jesus has come~ into our hearts~."
Pastor Park Yo-han had practically set up a makeshift chapel, gathering Protestants for a separate worship service. I thought about greeting them, but I didn't want to disturb the solemn prayer.
Above all, I stayed away because I was terrified by the sight of that piece of work, Shin Na-in, wearing earphones and lost in a trance while hammering away at the keys of a piano-like instrument.
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi let out a hollow laugh at my reaction and gestured for me to follow.
"Come to think of it, you haven't seen them yet, Mr. Baek Jemin. I mean the records Father Jeong Yong-hwan left regarding Localized Invasive Structural Alteration."
"Did the Father leave records of that?"
"With permission from the Catholic diocese, he plans to share his personal records among the Civilian Operators. For now, he's given permission to share them with the operators in the southern Gyeonggi region."
"Any new recruits? Besides us."
"There were about three, but one was killed in action, and the other two were taken by the frontline Blockade Units because they were needed. They seemed to have awakened the Heart Line and the eyes among the Alteration-types. There's almost never any manpower left for the Suwon area."
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi seemed to have his own grievances.
Anyway, I was guided to the room I would be using. Since it was another former storage room, I turned to the Lieutenant, who gave a troubled smile and pulled out something impressive.
"It's Spam. Two cans."
"Richam is delicious. Give me Richam next time."
Thanks to the Spam, I felt much better.
After unpacking as soon as I arrived, the place felt much more spacious and organized than the previous four-person room. Thinking about why, I figured it was probably because it had become a three-person room.
Park Se-hyeok...
Despite his wretched personality, he held on until the end in a situation where we had to live together, so I suppose he did his best. Park Se-hyeok had shown many unexpected sides to himself in the basement.
Although he wasn't as sacrificial or great as Father Jeong Yong-hwan, it was an undeniable fact that he had given his all.
I took a moment to quietly fold my hands and pray toward the empty space. Even though I don't believe in Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Islam, or Shamanism...
The fact that I could spend time honoring the end of someone, even a total prick.
Could that not be a demonstration of my capacity as Baek Jemin, a man destined to be an Archmage?
I prayed that if Park Se-hyeok is ever reborn, he'll spend his next life with his mouth shut.
After finishing my short prayer, I headed toward my room, located in a particularly secluded spot within the grim atmosphere of the Suwon City Hall CP.
It seemed to have originally been a social welfare department, but I was told it had been repurposed as a space for mages after the army moved in. I was inwardly satisfied, thinking that this is how human progress happens.
Once I had settled in and prepared to study, a familiar face approached from a distance.
"Operator, here are the records left behind by Father Jeong Yong-hwan. I'll get your coffee ready soon."
"Thanks for your hard work."
There weren't that many records. I opened them up to check, and they were just a personal Bible with scribbled annotations and a notebook.
However, obtaining the records of someone who had formally studied theology was a rare opportunity, so I decided to be satisfied. The sensible Driver brought me a paper cup of steaming coffee after a few minutes, and I felt a strange zeal in his eyes.
"Is there something you'd like to say?"
"Operator..."
The Driver couldn't continue speaking for a while.
Then, with a completely pale face, he slowly opened his mouth.
"If by any chance... you see my mother... if she's there..."
Gulp.
I took a sip of my coffee and gave him a soft smile.
"Don't worry."
"Operator...!"
"I won't have the luxury to sit there and distinguish your mother's face, so I'll just fucking shred them all to pieces."
"..."
After the sensible Driver found peace of mind and left, I could finally examine Father Jeong Yong-hwan's records.
Then I soon came across a very serious problem.
Despite being a native Korean, Father Jeong Yong-hwan must have been worried that these records would be arbitrarily misread or misused by others, as he had prepared a thorough countermeasure.
I looked around unnecessarily before finally having no choice but to pick up my phone.
I took a screenshot and asked the AI.
[What language is this?]
[This language is Latin, and judging by the grammar, it is presumed to be Ecclesiastical Latin. The first sentence begins with, 'Lord, if this is Your will,' and...]
***
Lord, if this is Your will, is it to reprimand me?
A Priest must be devoted to spiritual salvation and do his best to ensure that laypeople do not misunderstand the teachings established by the Church Fathers. However, by researching too deeply into the pagan rites and traditions remaining within the church, I could not avoid the shaking of my own faith.
Lord, the birth narrative of Jesus Christ has uncomfortably identical or similar aspects to various pre-existing myths and rituals, and I understand that the explanation claiming Satan or the Antichrist fabricated this so that the advent of the true Savior could not be recognized is a matter of faith, not logic.
However, the recent trials seem to have been designed to blaspheme the Incarnation and the human body, and I have seen the laypeople who serve the Lord crumble before this blasphemous tide. Were they simply weak? Was their faith lacking?
If so, how strong could my faith possibly be?
The military calls us practitioners of Localized Invasive Structural Alteration, but the majority call us Mages. Such Incantation-like acts point to the arrogance of humans thinking they can manipulate the laws of the universe and nature at will, a title that clergy serving the Lord must be wary of.
Because of this, I am tormented by the voice saying I must obediently submit to this trial as a clergyman, and the desire as a human to feel fear and yet push through my own will.
Lord, if the moment comes when I fall into their grasp. Please allow me to submit to Your will.
***
I closed this record for now and examined the other notes.
Only then did something useful finally surface.
[It appears that once you can not only read Alteration-type Magic but also speak it, you will finally be able to utilize a complete hierarchy of magic. Letters are inherently meant to be read, written, and sounded out as language, so while the military has secured this symbol called the Magic Rune and can read and comprehend it, nothing is known about utilizing it by vocalizing it. We need to figure out the tones, phonetic symbols, and so forth... Considering the side effects that its true effect would bring, it is presumed that it must be adjusted by purifying the pronunciation into another language.]
[However, since no one knows about phonetic symbols or tones, research on the Magic Rune can only be cautious. We must find someone who can read it. If not... May the Lord guide me in the fog.]
This is it.
I had one more reason to jump into the fog.
I quickly closed the records before anyone could see, and even felt an urge to tear them up before stopping myself. Everyone should start at the same starting line for a fair and just competition.
But I couldn't stop my heart from pounding.
"Hehehehe..."
It would have been really nice if Father Jeong Yong-hwan were still alive.
I spent my time frantically copying the text. All the answers to this bizarre situation lay in the fog.
Then, a strange sense of disappointment washed over me.
If only Amalgam and the other Monsters had been friendly to humans, we could have overcome their filthy and hideous appearances and enjoyed a horror-themed Disneyland, running around in the fog together.
But after thinking about Father Jeong Yong-hwan's gruesome end, that desire completely vanished.
Right. What kind of bullshit coexistence is this?
I'll survive on my own.
No matter how much I like people, I didn't want to live rubbing faces with those things.
End