26
Chapter 26
In 2028, facing the rolling fog, I was rather indifferent about the newly revamped Gyeonggi regional currency, the Military Note.
I figured the military could just print them out like nothing. Receiving 70 Military Notes for completing a single mission as a Civilian Operator made inflation seem inevitable.
So I thought I'd splurge a bit, but this isn't easy.
The people who introduced the Military Note economy must have put some thought into it, as their methods for reclaiming wealth to control inflation were quite impressive. Let me start with the civilians. I stood in front of the first-floor window and casually glanced outside.
Like the golden carriages of old armies, trucks were loaded with boxed supplies, and armed Military Police were glaring fiercely at people in front of them. A supply officer flipped through a document folder while guarding the center.
At the front, a whiteboard served as a menu board.
People stood in line, handing over tickets—Military Notes—stamped with the approving Commander's name, rank, signature, and seal to the officer, who would then have soldiers hand over the corresponding supplies.
Here's what I understood about this Military Note economy.
Ordinary civilians received an average of 2 Military Notes for labor that helped the military, and they could purchase the basic daily ration package for 1 Military Note.
The daily ration package contained two 2L water bottles, 5 packs of instant noodles, and 3 packs of instant rice. If you brought and verified the dependents you were supporting, you'd get an additional small 100g convenience store kimchi, one more water bottle, and one more instant rice.
A tub of side dish store kimchi was 1 Military Note, and a set of over-the-counter medicine like cold medicine was 3 Military Notes. Two shirts were 1 Military Note, and a pair of jeans was also 1 Military Note. In this manner, they set prices for essential living supplies that were somewhat cheap... reasonable?
The crowning touch here was cigarettes and alcohol.
Cigarettes were 1 Military Note per pack regardless of brand, and alcohol was 1 Military Note for a bottle of soju or a can of beer. Smokers and drinkers were doomed even in times like these.
But the most expensive item was, as expected, the Evacuation Priority.
The Gyeonggi-do area, the Secondary Blockade Line, currently had Suwon and Gapyeong as major supply bases, with military units deployed on major roads to control logistics and supplies, preventing people from fleeing to Gangwon-do or Chungcheong-do. Those attempting to cross the border without military permission were to be shot on sight, deemed provisional Amalgams.
It's called Evacuation Priority, but in reality, it's essentially evacuation authorization.
Yet this Evacuation Priority demanded a hefty 100 Military Notes. According to First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi, there were reasons for this pricing.
'To maintain infrastructure, attract personnel to help with military logistics and supply, and control refugees who might actually be infected, order is necessary. It might be... a bit harsh, but isn't it better than nothing? The standards are clear too.'
In short, the crime of Gyeonggi-do residents was living in Gyeonggi-do.
Just as the crime of Seoul residents who would be clashing with Amalgams and dating Predatory Spines in Seoul right now was the very fact that they lived in Seoul. And damn it, the crime of us Koreans was being born in Korea and becoming the first to be attacked by those fucking Monster bastards.
In this ruthless Military Note economy, this wartime economic system, even as a Civilian Operator, I couldn't escape capitalist logic.
Sighing, I ignored the outside world through the glass, the people moving boxes with slumped shoulders, and headed to the mess hall. The mess hall entrance wasn't much different.
The Mess Officer who had set up a chair and desk and was lazily yawning held out his hand as soon as he saw me.
"Operator Baek Jemin. Three meal tickets for the mess hall costs 1 Military Note."
"I earned these Military Notes with my life, so the food better be good today, right?"
"That depends on the cook's skill, well..."
Civilian Operators earned Military Notes better than ordinary civilians. The ROK-US Combined Forces Command agonized over this. They carefully prioritized supplying materials to encourage Operators to participate in operations, but wouldn't it be unfair if an Operator just cashed in and slacked off?
Thus, they demanded a hefty price in exchange for autonomy and independence, receiving military supplies and even more Military Notes.
My situation was somewhat better.
Carrying my food tray, I received spicy pork, radish kimchi, and seasoned bean sprouts buffet-style, then scooped some radish soup and sat down to pull out my secret weapon. It was the leftover Richam from yesterday. I scooped a spoonful onto my rice, gently broke it apart, and covered it again.
One can of this Richam or Spam cost 1 Military Note.
It was a blessing that the Colonel who took off his name tag took a liking to me and supplied me with two cans per week for free. While I was feeling relieved, a friend wearing a turban approached me.
"Mr. Baek Jemin. Can I have a spoonful of Spam?"
"...."
"I miss Spam..."
At this moment, I became certain that Hamza possessed a Dogma-type magic.
Convinced that the Angel's Guidance was real, I scooped him a spoonful of Richam. I felt a surge of respect for Hamza, who wouldn't let even a casually spoken word slide easily. Looking back, this guy never even showed his face in truly dangerous places.
I could have argued that since it wasn't Spam, it didn't count, but you don't pick a fight with someone who has such an amazing ability.
Having built a solid bond with a single spoonful of Richam, we scarfed down our meals while having a brief conversation.
"Hamza. Do you sense anything from me?"
"I'm not sure if I should say this..."
"Go ahead and say it. I'm not a narrow-minded person."
"Mr. Baek Jemin, you're dangerous. My intuition tells me it's safer not to go with you when you're collecting Military Notes."
"What? Why? Isn't that Angel guiding you wrong?"
"No. This intuition... it's definitely the Angel guiding me. It says you're not a bad person, Mr. Baek Jemin, but it's dangerous to be around you too much."
However, as our conversation just now revealed, Hamza's Angel's Guidance magic wasn't perfect either.
After finishing up and clearing our food trays, Hamza and I said our goodbyes and parted ways.
In the meantime, I strolled through the corridor and took out my cracked phone to check the time, calculating how I'd spent my Military Notes.
February 22, 2028, 12:52 PM.
I'd used the mess hall for 10 days, so that's 10 Military Notes spent. To keep eating meals going forward, I'd set aside about 20 Military Notes as an emergency fund, and organized a list of things to buy with the remaining 40 Notes.
I was about 10 notes short of buying an AR-15. After some discussion in the command center, the price was finally set at 50 Military Notes, but aside from the lack of funds, it was only natural that I'd be hesitant to jump into an AR-15 when I was already more familiar with the K2.
However, according to reviews from previous customers, handguns were relatively cheap...
As I wandered over to the former social welfare department, which had now become a military gear shop, First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi greeted me with a yawn.
"Oh, Operator."
"I came to check the prices for handguns."
"Hmm. It's not bad to have a sidearm... but a rifle would be better, wouldn't it?"
"Aren't handguns cheaper?"
"Haha..."
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi guided me to the weapon racks and gave me a few demonstrations. He mimed loading the weapons with a series of metallic clicks and explained various details while checking the chambers, but the conclusion was shocking.
"Handguns cost a whopping 40 Military Notes too?"
"Well, the military finds it inconvenient when too many firearms are out there, so the entry price is a bit steep. It's because of concerns that Operators might smuggle weapons. But instead!"
"Instead?"
"If you purchase a reliable handgun like a Glock 19, the standard-issue K5, or a Sig, you'll get a promotion: one box of 50 FMJ rounds and one box of 25 JHP rounds for actual combat. Think of them as free gifts."
Is this that American sensibility?
Unable to find words, I covered my mouth and shifted my eyes, while First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi put the handgun back and smirked.
"Haha, harsh, right? Still, at least we're not charging in foreign currency. Of course, we have various other products and services that will be practically useful."
"Let's hear them."
"First, replacing the standard K2's 20-round magazine with a 30-round one costs 5 Military Notes, two grenades cost 5, a pre-loading service—where ammo is provided pre-inserted rather than in boxes—is 3 Notes per session, a CBRN Decontamination Kit is 3 Notes each, and a First Aid Kit is 3 Notes each..."
Stop.
I held up my palm and shook my head.
Is this really Korea? But then again, Military Notes are just an illusion if you don't use them. After a brief moment of thought, I folded my fingers and held up only my index finger.
"Fine. I'll swap to the 30-round magazine, buy six grenades, and take one decontam kit and one first aid kit."
"That's 26 Military Notes. Great. Do you also want a gas mask and filters? You'll get basic ones, but if you spend some notes, you'll get much better gear."
"How much for those?"
"One K-5 mask is 10 Military Notes, and filters are 2 Notes each."
"Then add one mask and two filters. That brings the total to..."
Clap clap clap clap...
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi smiled warmly, clapping his hands with the document folder tucked under his arm to show his admiration.
"That's 40 Military Notes. I'll have them sent to your quarters."
"...."
"Don't worry. I'm not charging notes for that. I'll have the soldiers send them by tomorrow, so you'll be able to receive them."
First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi saw my expression and gave a bitter smile while tapping the document folder.
"We provide basic supplies for free. Standard-issue 5.56mm ammo is free. We only charge notes when you're too lazy to load the magazines yourself."
"Can't you just provide the loading for free?"
"Operator Baek Jemin, think about it. If we gave all these American guns and ammo to Operators for free, wouldn't they just keep asking for more by pretending they lost them? The military doesn't want guns leaking indiscriminately into the civilian population. How can we guarantee that every Operator is as honest as you?"
"Sigh."
"And since you're nominally Civilian Operators, it would be a scandal to provide guns or military gear for free to civilians. You aren't soldiers. In exchange for that freedom and autonomy, having the authority to access and purchase military equipment is a privilege in itself. Of course, there is a way to get everything 100% free."
"There is?"
"If you volunteer as a Specialist Soldier heading for the front line, the Seoul Blockade Line..."
"Screw this, I'm going, I'm going."
"Take care."
I left behind the beaming First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi.
The Military Note economy was ruthless, even to Operators. I wasn't the only one feeling this sting. Just as I arrived near a room where the sound of prayer was drifting out, I saw Pastor Park Yo-han and Monk Cheong-hwi facing each other in a deep conversation.
"Pastor, what are you doing?"
"Oh, Baek Jemin. Come to study again, I see. Monk Cheong-hwi happens to be here as well."
"I am glad to see that the benefactor looks healthy."
This was truly something.
To think the day would come when the Pastor, who used to destroy things as idols even if they were from Dangun, would be sitting face-to-face with a monk. It just showed how screwed the world had become. I pulled up a chair and looked down at the strange symbols and patterns piled on the desk between them and asked.
"Are you talking about those weird numbers again?"
"It's called numerology, you brat. It's a useless, heretical, and delusional piece of knowledge, but the Lord might have left a clue in here."
"Even if it's delusional, assigning meaning to numbers is a common human trait."
Those who are quick-witted would realize it immediately.
Three of the most accomplished and intelligent among us Supreme Mages were independently researching the possibility that the Alteration-type magic system might actually be an occult and incantatory secret art.
***
From February 12th to the 22nd, I didn't just spend my time eating and shivering at the cruelty of the Military Note economy.
Led by Pastor Park Yo-han, who brought knowledge of various primitive incantations from Pyeongtaek, and the composed Monk Cheong-hwi, I served as an advisor since I had mastered the most Alteration-type magic, and together we explored this knowledge.
And February 22nd was the first scheduled meeting for the three of us.
As for me, I couldn't miss this opportunity to share knowledge, debate, and build plausible theories about magic.
However, contrary to my expectations, the problem was that the discussions were filled with absolute nonsense.
"Pastor, I'm right-handed, so I just shot it with my left; let's not overthink it."
"You ignorant brat! Signs and revelations aren't about clear phenomena; interpretation is the key! Of course, if you believe and follow the Lord firmly, you wouldn't need such things, but you're not like that, Baek Jemin!"
Pastor Park Yo-han shouted, poking the desk repeatedly with his index finger in frustration.
On the other hand, Monk Cheong-hwi calmly tried to soothe the situation while providing examples.
"You may call it a coincidence, but you mentioned the Hand Line, which symbolizes human intellect."
I simply agreed.
"Hey, why are you only being nice to that monk?"
unable to hold back any longer at the Pastor's grumpy tone, a remark slipped out of me.
"Try managing Shin Na-in properly first."
"He's not from my church! Why on earth should I manage him? A pastor is no different from a layperson in that regard!"
"Sigh. He said he wants to go. Why ignore talent who wants to be Youth Group Leader?"
Leaving the raging Pastor behind, I turned my gaze to Monk Cheong-hwi, who gave a troubled smile and showed me a mudra.
"In Buddhism, hand gestures called mudras carry deep meaning. For example, the Abhaya Mudra is used to dispel fear and anxiety."
He further explained that the Varada Mudra, which typically accompanies it, involves turning the palm outward and downward to show that the Buddha grants wishes.
Monk Cheong-hwi took the pose himself, then clasped his hands and gave a slow nod.
"In Buddhism, the right hand often represents the means of rescue and action, while the left is associated with wisdom, meditation, and practice."
"Given this, the fact that your first-stage Hand Line magic caused damage via blood from the right hand clearly suggests a certain causality."
I finally nodded and took out my notebook to start scribbling. These were items I'd managed to get for free by petitioning, a small mercy in this hellish Military Note economy.
- Buddhism. Right hand is often used to emphasize rescue and action. Left hand is often used for practice and meditation.
"Christianity also assigns great importance to the right side; the Lord's Prayer mentions the right hand of the Lord as a symbol of power and order."
"In contrast, the left is often negative, such as in Matthew 25:41, where those on the left are cast into the eternal fire of hell."
Scribble, scribble...
- Christ-cult. Right hand is often used to emphasize power and order. Left is not particularly significant, but there's a hint that those on the left on Judgment Day are thrown into hellfire.
"Hey! What do you mean by 'Christ-cult'!"
Despite the minor incident, a certain connection was becoming visible.
Both Buddhism and Christianity shared a common meaning of execution or action, whether it was the Lord's power or the intent of rescue. Since rescue also felt like an active term, the pieces fit together.
However, the biggest problem lay in the empirical method of verifying the first-stage Hand Line magic.
Thanks to the protection of the nameless Colonel, I avoided being thrown into a lab or becoming a blood bag for the front lines, but that also meant that any too-conspicuous actions would likely invite unnecessary surveillance.
Therefore, I decided not to supply the military with the blood from my right hand.
Fortunately, Monk Cheong-hwi silently nodded in support of my decision.
"To seek good deeds while lacking self-control is mere vanity, not practice; it is to be consumed by anguish rather than enlightenment. I respect your judgment."
"Besides, what if there's a duration limit? It would be unfair to soldiers who rely on my blood to fight monsters only to be eaten when the effect wears off."
The problem was that there was no visual effect, and it looked exactly like regular blood, making it indistinguishable. It didn't have a special scent either; I tried pricking my index finger with a needle in front of the Pastor and the Monk, but it was as I thought.
"It really is just blood. Not glowing blue or neon, just dark red blood."
They both seemed equally oblivious.
In other words, the only way to verify the effect was to face a monster and experiment directly. Naturally, it was practically insane.
"Wait, that capillary monster tried to burrow into your skin and cling to your veins?"
I explained that it was the only way to catch it and coat it in my blood.
The Pastor looked at me and called me a complete and utter lunatic.
I simply retorted that thanks to that, I managed a one-turn kill.
"Baek Jemin, when that moment comes, there will be more people pulling the pin on a grenade to blow themselves up than those who will lend you a hand."
"Amitabha..."
Even amidst the Pastor and Monk's fuss, the deductions and questions about the situation at that time continued.
The conclusions drawn from our discussion were as follows.
1. Since grasping it with my blood-soaked right hand damaged the entire capillary mesh on the ceiling, it seems contact instantly inflicts some degree of damage to the Monster's entire body.
2. However, since it didn't die instantly, it is presumed to be continuous damage. If it was dying until First Lieutenant Baek Han-seong looked up with the Action Cam, the damage might vary depending on the degree of exposure or bodily fluids—how much the Monster relies on its own blood when active.
3. It is unknown if scattering the blood will work, but assuming its effectiveness drops once it dries up will likely help in survival.
4. It is unknown if refrigeration will preserve the effect, but considering it either as an Incantation or Dogma, blood often symbolizes life, so if it loses its warmth, it could be deemed a cold corpse or death, making it highly likely that its effect will be significantly weakened or lost entirely.
After considering these practical effects, the discussion moved on to the Hand Line Magic Rune, which consisted of two pairs of five lines intersecting vertically and horizontally.
We discussed it through imagination, as realizing it was a Magic Rune would induce vomiting and prevent a proper conversation.
Fortunately, merely imagining it seemed fine. Unlike seeing it directly, both the Pastor and the Monk looked at me perfectly fine and asked.
"That really looks like it would be shaped like some sort of chart."
"A form where two pairs of five lines intersect vertically and horizontally..."
Although we didn't draw it out directly, everyone visualized a similar shape in their minds.
Eventually, the Pastor, who said he had learned Heretical knowledge in Pyeongtaek, began flipping through his Notebook.
Despite wearing glasses that gave him a sly look, the Pastor's eyes must have been dim, as he brought the pages close to his face several times, wetting his thumb with saliva to turn each page.
It looked like it would take a while, and I was applying pressure to my index finger, which I had pricked with a needle, to stop the bleeding.
"Oh, I found it. Numerology. In the end, isn't what Baek Jemin is talking about a 5x5 chart shape? Right?"
"Yes. That's right."
"Looking at it, that intuition about Hand Line magic symbolizing human intellect seems roughly correct. The meaning of the Hand Line Magic Rune looks significant. From a numerological perspective, the number 5 symbolizes dynamism and change... and humans themselves. So 5x5 makes 25... let's see. What does 25 become..."
I frowned, wondering if I should believe such delusional stories, but eventually had no choice but to let out a sigh.
Yeah, fuck it.
With Seoul covered in fog, and Amalgams, Predatory Spines, and even the still-unnamed ceiling capillary net Monsters running around, this bullshit about splitting and adding numbers might actually turn out to be true.
Eliminating possibilities when I set out to explore magic is a foolish act.
I, Baek Jemin, decided to become a more open-minded person.
It was then that Monk Cheong-hwi spoke up first.
"In Buddhism, the number 5 is called the Five Aggregates, meaning form, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness. The Five Aggregates are considered the elements that make up a human. Also, the number 25 divides the Three Realms where sentient beings reside into 25 areas, called the Twenty-Five Existences, so the fact that the Hand Line magic rune points to 5 and 25 is a causality that cannot be ignored."
"What the monk says... isn't entirely wrong."
The Pastor also spoke with a reluctant expression, his eyes glued to his Notebook.
"In numerology, 25 is the number of the seeker. The number 2 often points to relationships and intuition. If you add 2 and 5, you get 7, and they praised that 7 as the most perfect number where the spirit settles in the flesh, as it combines 3, the spiritual pinnacle of the Trinity, and 4, like the four elements or the four directions. To bring up the Trinity in a place like this... Anyway!"
I also started to feel like there might be something to it.
The three of us exchanged glances, pondered for a moment, and then also discussed the Eye Line Magic Rune that I knew of.
"That Eye Line Magic Rune is also shaped like a crushed square stuffed inside a triangle, right? So Baek Jemin called it Chil-mo (Seven-shape). Hah. Sounds like a crazy guy and crazy talk, but..."
"I think a certain intuition might have been at work. The number 7 refers to the Seven Steps that Buddha took upon his birth, and it also refers to the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, which are the seven practices to reach enlightenment..."
"You multiply the human number 5 by the human number 5 again to get 25, and if you split 25 and add 2 and 5, you get 7, which means the state of Buddha or perfection."
The three of us looked at each other and licked our dry lips.
No one said it out loud, but at this point, we just felt like there was something there.
However, the first one to voice the conclusion was me, Baek Jemin.
"According to the numerological interpretation of the Hand Line Magic Rune, the Alteration-type Magic system is some sort of secret art system to perfect the five elements that make up a human. A preparation to advance towards Perfection."
"Hand, Ear, Eye, Heart... and it would be right to assume there is one more undiscovered Line."
"If so, there is a high probability that there are up to 5 stages as well. Since they have arranged numbers with such elaborate meanings, it is difficult to fathom beyond that."
It was still only at the stage of speculation, but at least the fact that the Alteration-type Magic system was related to humanity seemed certain.
And amidst the leaps of logic and numerological coincidences, we were able to guess how those stages were structured.
5 Lines, 5 Stages.
As its full picture was slightly revealed, my heart began to pound.
A thrilling excitement and shudder made the corners of my mouth twitch. Is this the psychology of one who explores the arcane? Is it the ecstasy of being able to advance to omnipotent power, even if the world is ending?
I still have...
22 more magics left to learn!
End