29
Chapter 29
I, Baek Jemin, had finished my military service and hated the North Korean regime, but I had never actually experienced war firsthand.
I wasn't the only one. Although it was technically a truce country, over half a century had passed since an all-out war broke out, so there was probably no one in South Korea who had ever felt the true horrors of war and artillery fire.
However, as I rode in the back of a rattling military truck, heading north, the air began to change the closer we got to Seoul.
With two armored vehicles at the front and rear, and even a helicopter escorting us, I was already feeling a heavy pressure, as if being crushed by steel.
The stifling air felt like someone was steadily stuffing a wet towel down my throat. The smell of gunpowder pressed against my face like the scent of rubber amplified hundreds of times over. Just breathing made my throat sting, crying out in thirst.
When the city center of Seongnam finally came into full view, I found myself involuntarily licking my dry lips.
At the very least, artillery positions were deployed in areas close to the road where the surrounding buildings were low. The soldiers were busy endlessly moving shells from the trucks to the cannons, and I could also see officers inspecting the positions and signalmen busy checking their radios.
It seemed this position had ceased fire. But just because one position stopped firing didn't mean the battle was over.
Lee Se-jun frowned and covered his mouth with his poncho, while Shin Na-in just went ahead and put on his gas mask. The uncles and aunties from the Taegeuk Jesus Descent Eastern Academy who were with us also covered their mouths with their Taegeukgi capes to protect themselves from the smell.
Only I, Baek Jemin, was taking in Seongnam, which had transformed into a landscape that assaulted all my sensory organs.
Even so, when I lifted my head to look north, a mutter escaped my lips involuntarily.
"What a bloodbath..."
The north. The direction where Seoul would be located was covered in fog.
I wasn't even sure if calling that fog was accurate. Dense gray clouds filled the space from the ground all the way up to the highest reaches of the sky. It looked so heavy that it could have been a cumulonimbus cloud about to pour down a downpour, and since it stood firmly over Seoul without swaying in the wind, it even made me wonder if it was a solid mass.
The most striking thing was the artillery fire.
The deafening roar of the cannons recoiling was felt not by my ears, but by my internal organs. It wasn't the rattling of the truck, but the trembling of the ground that caused my insides to vibrate slightly.
Then, a flash of light would flare up inside that heavy, thick fog—inside that massive, dark gray cloud that was said to be hundreds of meters thick. It was like a blinking yellow traffic light.
The sounds of the shells tearing through the wind only reached me after the flashes of the artillery fire had already blinked. And Seoul within the fog was sparkling with countless artillery blasts, like a fireworks display.
All to drive away even a handful of that fog.
The situation on this front line grew rougher the further north we went, heading toward our destination within the fog. The lingering stench of gunpowder and the smell of burning everything mixed together, piercing our eyes and noses.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of spent casings were rolling between the collapsed concrete buildings and the densely laid barbed wire. In this ashen landscape where the concept of color saturation didn't exist, only the trucks moving along the road had any color.
It was then.
Bzzt... Bzzt...
As I looked toward the source of the unique static of a radio, an infantry squad emerged from the mouth of an alley. Their killing intent and equipment were on a completely different level compared to the guys I saw back at Suwon Station.
Everyone was in MOPP Level 4. Because they were thoroughly wearing CBRN protective suits and gas masks as they moved, not a single inch of bare skin could be seen.
The lead soldier holding a flamethrower stared intently at us, and I could see the soldiers following him were carrying semi-automatic shotguns with heavy magazines instead of the standard K2C1 rifles. Of course, there were soldiers carrying rifles as well, but having two flamethrowers and three shotguns in a squad of about eight was a formation uncharacteristic of our military.
I thought they'd just make them all riflemen.
However, what caught my eye the most was their readiness and killing intent. I could hear the characteristic heavy breathing through their gas masks even from a distance, and they never took their fingers off the triggers. They kept their eyes locked on us until we passed by, and it was only when we were far away that they finally resumed their march.
Even this seemed relaxed by front line standards.
As we headed toward the fog, the people who had already been silent began to tense up. It was because the utterly devastated situation of the front line was embedding itself directly into our eyes without any filtering.
Soldiers armed with flamethrowers and semi-automatic shotguns patrolled, lighting up every corner of the alley entrances. The only sounds were the heavy thuds of military boots and the clinking of firearms brushing against military gear. There were groups chatting, but those conversations would soon die out.
It wasn't until we arrived in front of a park far off from the road that I heard a distinct sound.
"Save me! Please save me!"
"I'm human!"
It was a semicircular encirclement and annihilation formation. A complete annihilation tactic used by the military against civilians.
It seemed they had been through all sorts of hardships; people stained with soot and dust were raising both hands, pouring out tears and pleading. They appeared to be refugees from Seoul who had miraculously escaped the monsters running rampant in the city and the continuous artillery fire.
Among them was a young girl tightly hugging her parent's leg, so it was only natural for a sensitive guy like me to feel a lump in my throat.
However, the ROK Army bravely had these dozens of citizens surrounded with their gun muzzles aimed at them, keeping their distance while aiming not only drum-magazine semi-automatic shotguns but also flamethrowers. It was such a brutal atmosphere that it briefly crossed my mind whether I should step in and stop this.
At that moment, Shin Na-in approached me without me noticing and whispered, puffing heavily.
"You see that girl over there, right?"
"Yeah. So?"
"It's a monster."
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick....
Along with a sound like a lighter flint striking, the flamethrower ignited. The moment the flames reached the girl who was hugging her parent's legs and set her ablaze, she let out a bizarre shriek, shifting her form and rubbing her cheek against her mother's face.
Not knowing what had happened, the girl's mother embraced her, but realized her own head was melting faster than she could burn in the flames, and screamed. However, even the mother's groans and screams were no longer her own.
With the girl's tiny body dangling, the mother tried to grab and throw the body to shake the girl off, but the flames transferred to her before she could.
Finally, the moment the eyes of the girl and her mother overlapped and merged into compound eyes, a scream erupted from the mouth that had become one.
"Kkyaaaaah!"
"Fire! Fire! Kill them all! Shoot their legs and torsos so they can't escape the incineration zone!"
Bang! Rat-tat, bang!
There were actual people, and there were monsters who revealed their true colors the moment the flames caught them. But they posed no threat to the ROK Army soldiers who were already fully prepared.
It seemed there were occasionally Predation spines mixed in, as a person's neck snapped, turning 360 degrees with a Thud! and a monster popped out. However, thanks to the already established field of fire, they were quickly riddled with bullets or burned to death.
Because the line of military trucks was still moving slowly, we couldn't stay and watch until the end.
Instead, I could see the continuous gunshots gradually dying down, and the soldiers slowly lowering their muzzles to stare at the burning pile of corpses. Though I couldn't tell what kind of look they had in their eyes, hidden behind their thick CBRN protective suits, military gear, and gas masks.
As we passed the infantry, I saw tanks and machine gun nests in the distance, their barrels aimed toward the fog. At a sight straight out of a World War I movie, I ended up inhaling some of the ashen dust.
"Cough, cough."
Unable to bear it, I opened my canteen and took a few sips of water while the truck came to a stop. I wondered if we had finally arrived, but the escort poked his head out the window.
"It looks like a small-scale engagement will take place. We will move out after standing by for 30 minutes."
What the trenches and tank units were aiming at was a killing zone pockmarked by artillery fire and concrete debris. Soon, a loud siren blared, and the soldiers who had been catching their breath without gas masks put them back on in one swift motion and headed to their positions.
Amidst the near-screaming echoes of commands ringing out from all directions, the soldiers wearing CBRN protective suits were carrying more grenade launchers, flamethrowers, and semi-automatic shotguns than rifles. They all took positions near the machine gunners to provide cover, and I soon found out why.
Pale figures appeared from within the fog.
However, the closer they got, the more I realized they were anything but normal. A single head with hundreds of limbs. Giant Amalgams appeared, rolling the compound eyes of melted faces, and the moment they escaped the fog, they began to split apart, shoving faces into a single body like melting ice cream.
A couple of tanks fired their cannons.
One giant Amalgam was instantly pulverized by a high-explosive shell, but the split Amalgams advanced without knowing fear. The soldiers with grenade launchers were the first to signal the attack, firing their grenades with a Pom, pom, pom sound.
Tu-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa...
Even watching from afar, the gunshots rang out crystal clear. The machine guns, whether placed in nests or mounted on tanks, could not rest until their barrels overheated. The two tank cannons took turns firing, scattering heavy gunsmoke, while the infantry's firepower, including the grenade launchers, focused on holding back the surging Amalgams.
The giant Amalgams repeatedly split and scattered in response to this overwhelming firepower.
Instead of charging with their heavy mass, they chose mobility and division to break through the killing zone, seemingly attempting to disperse the firepower. It was then that the flamethrowers spewed their flames with a scream-like battle cry to stop the approaching Amalgams.
The bizarre screams of the burning monsters intertwined with the screams of humans trying to suppress their terror.
The scale was so overwhelming that I even wondered if I should brace for the recoil and use magic. It was around this time that fighter jets appeared in the sky with a deafening roar.
Soon, the aerial bombing began.
The monsters were crushed by the blast pressure, and artillery fire aimed at the outskirts of Seoul resumed. When a shell landed where eight giant Amalgams were clustered, white smoke billowed out. The Amalgams ignited, letting out ghostly wails that shook the heart.
A a a a agh - !!!
"Almighty Lord God, please protect us in our time of tribulation..."
The spiky-haired mister, who seemed to be the leader of the Taegeuk Jesus Descent Eastern Academy, clasped his hands together and began to pray. The three of us Alteration-types weren't much different. Lee Se-jun plugged his ears and muttered, while Shin Na-in pulled his poncho hood over his head and bowed his head.
I, Baek Jemin, tell the truth as a real man who doesn't tell lies. I leaked a drop or two of pee.
I felt Shin Na-in put a little distance between us, but leaking only a drop or two of pee after hearing such ghostly wails was a feat worth bragging about, so I didn't mind. However, it seemed like an everyday occurrence for the ROK Army soldiers on the front line, as they only flinched for a moment before immediately continuing their counterattack.
It was a clash of overwhelming violence.
The military crushed the monsters with the firepower that was the pride of human intelligence and civilization. The monsters, seeking to desecrate human sanctity and humanity, charged fearlessly, adopting ever more hideous and grotesque forms.
Some soldiers with flamethrowers ran out of fuel and failed to hold the monsters back, and as a result, were seized by Amalgams and dragged away, struggling in vain. Though I couldn't hear the groans and terrified screams trapped beneath their gas masks, I could clearly see their legs flailing, visible even from a distance.
The muzzles were aimed even at the soldiers being dragged away.
The moment a position was breached, grenades rained down. A hail of bullets brought down the monsters, while a few soldiers beneath them writhed in blood before dying. Soon, artillery fire aimed into the fog began, flashes blinking as smoke blended with the fog clouds.
Everyone in the truck was so overwhelmed that they couldn't bring themselves to engage in small talk.
Before long, the battle ended in a victory for the military.
The results were confirmed through a cold report heard over the escort's radio.
[...Engagement duration 4 minutes. Head-Fusion Mimic swarm successfully neutralized. 6 casualties. Will resume contact after securing the perimeter.]
"Copy."
February 29, 2028, 11:24 AM.
That was the time I saw when I reflexively checked my phone with its cracked screen.
The escort poked his head out the window again and looked back at us, then gave a bittersweet smile and tapped on the door.
We had arrived at the first blockade line, near Seoul.
"Let's get this over with quickly and head back."
And now, we enter the outskirts of Seoul.
***
Our entry route was heading north via Seongnam-daero.
After regrouping near Bokjeong Station, if it was foggy, the plan was to have them read the Magic Special Lecture booklet to awaken their magic before returning. This area was chosen because it was close to military control points and had relatively few buildings for ambushes, making the entry difficulty low.
The military originally planned to blow up Seongnam-daero to block the route south, but they left it intact since it became an established fact that fog was necessary to master Magic Runes.
However, the further we went, the closer we got to the fog, the more an eerie feeling washed over me.
Do not venture into the fog. Do not step into a land where monsters of all manner of grotesque ecologies run rampant. When the moment arrives where even regret is impossible, you will realize that not even your tears are your own anymore.
I wasn't the only one feeling this anxiety and eerie premonition.
All three of us Alteration-types shared the same sentiment.
"This is no joke. Jemin, Na-in... was coming to Seoul really the right call?"
"You said you were going to save the country."
"Ugh... damn it. Right, a man like Lee Se-jun can't just ignore a debt of gratitude. He can't...!"
When I pointed out his passive attitude, Lee Se-jun made a gesture as if he were tearing at his hair in agony.
"Honestly, don't you think I've paid it all back with everything I've contributed so far?"
"Se-jun, stop your whining and let's just go."
"The church is always open to you too, Se-jun."
Lee Se-jun grumbled while fiddling with his gun. He was undoubtedly gauging when it would be time to load live ammunition.
On the other hand, the mister who served as the leader of the Taegeuk Cloak Squad was busy leading joint prayers with his members. Not carrying guns, armed only with things like walking sticks or mop handles, they looked more like mages than we did.
Meanwhile, the convoy of trucks delved into the fog.
Was the visibility about 500 meters? Even when crossing a small bridge, the fog wasn't as thick as I expected. But as we finally arrived near our destination, Bokjeong Station, a heavy fog that felt momentarily cold swept over us.
The escort no longer poked his head out the window.
"Fog visibility under 100 meters. Everyone, load live ammunition and assume combat readiness."
The only consolation was that the sound of helicopters could be heard in the distance. With just a slight turn of the head, the bright spotlights mounted on the armored vehicles illuminated us.
The three of us Alteration-types loaded our live ammunition in silence, and just in case, I opened the Magic Special Lecture booklet. The Magic Runes drawn in the booklet would be the eye, the ear, and the heart.
It would be really nice to get at least one...
"Ugh..."
"Mr. Baek Jemin, don't you think there might be some kind of condition?"
Around the time the truck came to a stop, Lee Se-jun approached, heavily patting my shoulder as he spoke.
"A condition?"
"Like an unlock condition. If you compare it to a game character, there are cases where investing in one skill tree locks out another. To unlock it, you'd either have to pay real money or create a new character. I was thinking that this Alteration-type Magic might have an unlock condition too."
That actually sounded pretty plausible.
We got out of the truck and were positioned following the flickering lights. The escort fellow had taken off his name tag, so I only knew that he was a Captain, but with his sharply slanted eyes, he looked quite shrewd.
"We will now distribute the booklets for awakening Localized Invasive Structural Alteration. If you experience vomiting, nausea, or dizziness, please close your eyes and take deep breaths immediately. If you find a rune that you can safely look at, simply report what you have comprehended and discovered. You will be able to return safely in the order you report!"
Nearby, soldiers heavily armed with CBRN Protective Suits and gas masks, just like the soldiers on the front line, were standing guard.
If there were about 10 soldiers holding rifles, there were at least 8 holding either semi-automatic shotguns or pump-action shotguns. Under their stern gaze, all sorts of people were brought out and opened their booklets in the fog.
There was a prisoner with a shaggy beard and handcuffs, a monk wearing traditional Buddhist robes, a middle-aged woman with permed hair, and even a young man who looked like a college student with a relatively youthful face.
Our trio of Alteration-types also opened our Magic Special Lecture booklets to see if we could learn other lines of magic. Since only we Supreme Mages in southern Gyeonggi Province knew the runes for Hand Line magic, it was time to see if we could learn it now.
It would be best if I was the only outstanding one, but to take down those monster bastards, we had no choice but to share our knowledge.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the area was soon filled with the sounds of retching.
"Uwehhh..."
I was no exception either.
The Heart Line. Learning just that one would make me utter trash, but if I, who had learned the Eye and Hand Lines, learned the Heart Line as well, it was certain to create tremendous synergy. But fuck, to think I couldn't learn it.
Perhaps I wasn't the only one feeling unfairly treated; everyone was retching, shedding tears, and throwing up their stomach contents, yet they still refused to let go of their Magic Special Lecture booklets.
Then I saw the escort fellow frown deeply.
"Do we need to go deeper for this..."
"Go deeper?"
I asked, wiping the gastric juice from my mouth with the back of my hand.
I had an intuition that the escort knew something. As soon as he received the question, he narrowed his brow, looked over our trio of Alteration-types and the Taegeuk Cloak Squad, and then flicked his index and middle fingers, signaling us to approach.
"Don't all come, only the representatives."
When the mister who acted as the leader of the Taegeuk Cloak Squad, the only Supreme Mage to have learned two lines, and I, Baek Jemin, approached, the escort spoke carefully.
"Currently, as the analysis of Magic Runes is actively underway in the Pyeongtaek area, a hypothesis has emerged. It's the hypothesis that the denser the fog, the higher the success rate of learning Magic Runes. However, as you may have been informed, there are testimonies that two Unidentified Species are appearing in the dense fog with a visibility of less than 50 meters."
At that, the spiky-haired mister rubbed the temple of his glasses and shrugged his shoulders.
"The Lord's divine revelation lies within tribulation. Do not worry. I didn't come here to watch young folks die. In the name of the Lord God, I, Min Hyeong-jun, will take on the role of the shepherd to guide you."
"Thank you for your enthusiasm. What about you, Baek Jemin of Aphorism?"
I reflexively turned my head to check my surroundings.
The fog was still thick. People retching and gagging. And then Lee Se-jun, clutching his firearm while his body trembled, and Shin Na-in, smiling contentedly and bouncing his shoulders as if he were a DJ.
Everyone's lives were truly precious.
There was only one conclusion.
"Let's go right now."
If the success rate of learning magic increases the denser the fog gets, then that's the survival rate!
End
(C) Hardblast#151df