36
Chapter 36
Most people didn't react much when news of Monk Cheong-hwi's disappearance broke.
Lee Se-jun just shrugged, letting out a long yawn.
"I heard they're serving stir-fried sausages this morning. Maybe he just headed there early? No need to make a big deal out of it."
"Then maybe he's in his room?"
"If not the cafeteria, he's probably praying. I don't think it's that serious."
But Monk Cheong-hwi was nowhere to be found in the cafeteria.
The place was crawling with exhausted soldiers carrying trays and orderlies helping with the food. Well, if he misses a meal, that's on him. Now isn't the time for me to worry about the monk.
Having gone hungry while staying up from last night until this morning, getting my food was the priority.
I sat down with my tray and smiled with satisfaction at the stir-fried sausages, diced radish kimchi, and beef radish soup. Now it was time for my exclusive privilege: bringing out the Richam.
"One spoonful of Richam. Nice."
"Jemin, can I have a spoonful too? This is the Supreme Mage."
"Sure. One spoonful for our Supreme Mage, Hamza."
Since today's side dishes were quite salty, I decided to save the Spam.
The Hamza from Aphorism is just a convert who hides in the shadows to look after himself, but this Supreme Mage Hamza is different. I could share my precious Richam with the Supreme Mage Hamza, who was cultivating himself while waiting for the perfect moment to be useful.
Just as I was chewing on the rice mixed with a small bit of Richam, chaos erupted elsewhere.
The cafeteria doors slammed open, and a soldier wearing a helmet shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Assemble! Everyone assemble!"
"Do the people not on the five-minute standby have to go too?"
"Didn't you hear me? Everyone assemble!"
The sudden clatter of utensils hitting trays echoed as annoyance washed over the soldiers' faces.
We Supreme Mages could only click our tongues at the sight. I'm glad I'm technically a civilian. Pastor Park Yo-han clicked his tongue as well and slurped his soup.
"The kids are really suffering."
"That's just how it is when you're young."
"Jemin, you punk, you're young yourself! What are you talking about?"
"These days, if you're twenty-eight, you don't even feel like you're in your twenties. People just call me 'almost thirty'."
"If your age starts with a two, you're still young!"
I thought I was young too, but the fresh-faced college freshmen in their early twenties just call me 'Mister'.
I felt a wave of bitterness and mindlessly sipped some radish kimchi broth.
Instead, I shifted my focus to my expectations and experiments regarding the second stage of hand magic.
Hand Line Stage 2.
This was entirely different from previous magics. From what I'd realized, Hand Line Stage 2 was closer to alchemy using the Blood of the Left Hand. It wasn't exactly a damage-dealing skill for defeating monsters, but it functioned like a common rune.
If I wrote a word meaning 'sharp' with the Blood of the Left Hand, things became sharper; if I wrote 'salty', they became salty.
For example, if there was no salt, writing 'salty' on a rice bowl would make the food taste as if salt had been sprinkled on it.
Look at this infinite potential.
This is why I can't stop learning magic!
However, we couldn't escape the commotion.
March 21, 2028, 8:42 AM.
Just as I finished breakfast and was about to test Stage 2, Captain Kim Ho-un and First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi came to find us, dressed in individual military gear. Their faces were grim.
"Civilian Operator Monk Cheong-hwi has disappeared. We request your cooperation."
***
Every now and then, I wondered.
I wondered what the Republic of Korea's Special Forces were doing while all this chaos was unfolding. I knew Special Forces were secretive by nature, but I wondered if they could actually achieve anything now that monsters were running wild.
And now, as I checked the time one last time before turning off my phone, I found out what the Special Forces were doing.
March 21, 2028, 9:20 AM.
A group on a completely different level from the ordinary soldiers appeared at the Suwon City Hall CP. After the roar of helicopters, heavily armed men began taking positions throughout the city hall corridors.
Sunglasses or goggles covering their eyes, balaclava masks like those in FPS games, and attachments cluttered all over the rails of their rifles, unlike those used by regular soldiers.
Anyone could tell at a glance. They were Special Forces in black gear.
I didn't know much about the Special Forces or which unit they belonged to, but their skill in swiftly searching Suwon City Hall was extraordinary. I saw a few men with shotguns, and not one of them took their index finger away from the trigger.
The announcements echoing through the building were chilling.
[Effective immediately, all personnel assigned to the Suwon City Hall command center are prohibited from moving without permission. Everyone is to remain in place, following their superiors or senior soldiers, until the inspection is complete.]
After hearing the announcement, Captain Kim Ho-un and First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi gathered the mages in one place and told them to wait.
Before I knew it, a variety of mages other than our Supreme Mages had gathered at Suwon City Hall. Most people imagine mages as bearded old men in robes, but the mages here looked distinctly Korean and familiar.
An ahjumma with permed hair, a middle-aged man in a worn-out puffer jacket and a beanie who looked like he loved makgeolli, a young man with a horse-like face busy applying eye makeup with a hand mirror...
Excluding the missing Monk Cheong-hwi, there were twenty of us in total, including our five-member Supreme Mage group.
Looking around at the mages from southern Gyeonggi Province gathered at the city hall, I felt a swell of pride. It was only natural, seeing as all these people had awakened the power of magic.
The dream of Korea becoming a magical superpower was coming true.
Yet, despite this grand sight, Lee Se-jun had a look of disappointment on his face.
"Se-jun, why that face? Don't they look reliable?"
"No, well..."
While they might not have the impact of the Taegeuk Cloak Squad, they were still an impressive bunch.
Honestly, I believe the Taegeuk Cloak Squad was wiped out because they were far too soft-hearted for this brutal situation.
To be called a person of faith in the Korea of 2028, one had to be like Shin Na-in—someone who could scream 'bastard of a heretic' and shoot dead a monster mimicking a baby.
In that sense, the permed ahjumma who looked like she'd walk a dyed puppy named Poppy or the beanie man who looked like a makgeolli enthusiast seemed perfectly reliable just by looking at them.
"They look like they could take down monsters easily, so what's the problem?"
"Sigh... Jemin, I mean... it's not that I'm dissatisfied..."
But Lee Se-jun kept trailing off, as if there was something he was genuinely unhappy about.
At that moment, Shin Na-in took out his earphones and spoke in a flat voice.
"Se-jun is currently lamenting that while people like those can use magic, there isn't a single beautiful lady, like a Maxim cover girl or an S-class beauty, among us."
"...."
It seemed certain that the adult materials I'd ordered through First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi would bring me considerable wealth and opportunity.
Just as I smiled in understanding, Lee Se-jun shook his head vigorously.
"It's not for the reason you think. I was contemplating the possibilities of magic."
"Se-jun, there's no need to be ashamed. Be fruitful and multiply. The Lord also..."
Shin Na-in's expression, which had been calm during his sermon, suddenly turned ice-cold. I was shocked by a level of contempt from him that he hadn't even shown to Teratoma.
What on earth had he noticed to make this lunatic look so disgusted?
Faced with that cold and sharp gaze, Lee Se-jun seemed to snap and raised his voice slightly.
"Shin Na-in. Since magic actually exists and works, is it wrong to hope? Should you despise my wish like that? Am I asking for much? It's possible..."
"...."
"Who knows if there's magic to turn into a beautiful girl!!!"
.....
I pulled the hood of my poncho down and tightened the strings to hide my face.
While Shin Na-in and Lee Se-jun were bickering, the Special Forces in black gear approached us. It was around then that Captain Kim Ho-un let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"Quiet. Inspection is starting."
The inspection proceeded by having each person step forward, raise their arms, spin once, and jump in place ten times.
The inspection by the black-clad Special Forces members seemed lax at first glance. That is, except for the sharp gazes constantly monitoring hands from behind goggles that hid their eyes.
But how could a simple search like this be an actual inspection?
Especially when dealing with mages.
I wasn't the only one thinking this; most of the civilian operators had indifferent expressions. Some of them must have actually encountered or even fought monsters.
Since their thresholds for fear and tension had been forcibly raised, they handled the intimidation of the Special Forces better than ordinary people would.
One notable point, however, was that none of the Special Forces members opened their mouths. Even though they must have known it would be useless against a Hearing Line mage.
About tens of minutes passed in a silence broken only by the clatter of firearms.
One of the black-clad Special Forces members lowered his muzzle and turned his head precisely toward us Supreme Mages.
"..."
It looked like the soldiers had a lot to say but were holding it back. With that, they turned abruptly and went on their way.
Simultaneously, a radio crackled to life, and Captain Kim Ho-un and First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi listened intently, carefully adjusting the volume.
After a moment, the two turned back to us with deep sighs.
"I'll lead you to the conference room. Make sure you stay within the sight of the agents in black."
As he spoke, Captain Kim Ho-un stole a quick glance past the window.
A clear sky without a trace of fog.
The concrete buildings of Suwon shimmered in the light, though no one knew if it was due to the solar panels or the lens of a scope tracking them from afar.
The twenty mages gathered there began to move under a heavy sense of pressure, following Captain Kim Ho-un and First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi.
The black-clad Special Forces members stationed throughout the city hall never took their eyes off us, their weapons aimed. They didn't point the muzzles directly at us, but they looked ready to fire the moment an order was given.
I walked beside Hamza and asked cautiously.
"Hamza, do you think they'll actually shoot? What happens if we run?"
"No. Please don't."
Hamza shook his head, his face pale with terror.
Then, his dry lips parted as he added.
"But running might actually be the better option."
***
March 21, 2028, 10:52 AM.
These were the first words spoken by a nameless Colonel in a conference room where twenty civilian operators had been lined up.
Outside the room, the area was heavily guarded by agents in black rather than ordinary soldiers, and inside, the black-clad agents stood ready with their fingers on the triggers.
The Colonel explained the essence of the situation in a simple and concise manner.
"It has been determined that the monk known as Cheong-hwi, who was cooperating with the Combined Alteration Task Force under the Reality Survival Command of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, has defected."
Defection.
I wondered if the word 'defection' was even appropriate in a Korea where humans were fighting for survival against monsters. This wasn't a conflict where you could pick sides; it was a war of humanity versus monsters, where if Korea fell, the whole world would become a living hell.
The others seemed to feel the same, listening with furrowed brows or crossed arms.
Among them, only Shin Na-in, who had awakened Stage 2 of the Hearing Line and Stage 1 of the Eye Line, simply shrugged. He looked as if he had expected this to happen.
"The military is using Suwon and Suwon Station as strongholds because they are transportation hubs and difficult to blockade. We almost lost control once due to a refugee train collision. Unfortunately, those fears have become reality. Despite the stopped trains, repeated explosions, and the use of chemical warfare to block paths, it appears Monk Cheong-hwi escaped using the underground passages."
"But he was with us during the ritual. Baek Jemin here was the last person to see him. He was with Mr. Jemin until at least 6:34, so how..."
"Mr. Jemin, please explain your conversation with Monk Cheong-hwi and the ritual you performed."
Based on the testimony of Pastor Park Yo-han and those around us, I became a very important witness.
I spoke as calmly as possible, sticking to the key points and omitting the occult details.
I told them I received help from Monk Cheong-hwi during a ritual to raise my Alteration-type magic stage, and that the monk vanished without a trace the moment the ritual ended.
It seemed clear that Monk Cheong-hwi possessed magic other than the Dogma-type.
Otherwise, how could he have escaped undetected in such a short amount of time?
I couldn't even be sure if what I had seen was a phantom.
Of course, the Colonel didn't believe a word of it.
"...What a coincidence. Yes, quite a coincidence, Mr. Jemin."
Anyone could see the situation was suspicious.
I could feel the black-clad agents wanting to shoot me on the spot, but I didn't feel the need to use my magic.
That was because I was certain they wouldn't kill me.
Indeed, the Colonel glared at me with narrowed eyes; he was suspicious, but he didn't dare threaten or pressure me with death.
This was because I was a rare talent in southern Gyeonggi, possessing a wide array of abilities and the passion to dive into the fog at any time.
The Colonel, who wanted to save his soldiers, and I, who desired stronger and more diverse magic, were naturally bound together in a community of fate. The Spam and Richam provided to me every week were proof of that bond.
The situation was such that they lacked the manpower to arrest or kill me based on a single suspicious circumstance.
The moment they got rid of me, the number of dead would simply increase by one.
Therefore, the Colonel could no longer press me and could only appeal to me. He glared at me with bloodshot eyes for about ten seconds, then sighed and licked his lips.
"The ROK-US Combined Forces Command is hoping for a change in the seasonal winds... however, due to the worsening situation and increasing casualties at the first blockade line, we are discussing very limited and localized tactical nuclear strikes. It has been about three months since the fog broke out and Seoul was abandoned. Military casualties have reached 13,631, and we can no longer easily sustain these human losses."
The Colonel paused for a moment.
When he spoke again cautiously, we all frowned.
"As the cause of these casualties and the repeated influx of refugees toward the first blockade line... the military points to groups of survivors in Seoul, specifically those capable of Localized Invasive Structural Alteration."
"There are survivors? There? Not monsters?"
It was the beanie-wearing makgeolli man.
The others reacted the same way. Just seeing one Amalgam or Predatory Spine was enough to make one sick; hearing that humans were alive in Seoul, where such things swarmed by the millions, would naturally elicit such a reaction.
Even we Supreme Mages wouldn't have believed there were survivors if we hadn't personally scouted the outskirts of Seoul.
We had actually gone, but that was roughly three months since the start of the crisis.
It was madness to expect survivors to have lasted three months in there.
Yet, the Colonel's words were defying that common sense.
"The critical reason the Yongin military unit, which was blocking the refugees, collapsed was not just because of the monsters. Reports indicate there were many practitioners of Localized Invasive Structural Alteration among the survivors. The military hid this to maintain morale, and I ask for your understanding that this was an inevitable action."
Finally, the inner workings of the first blockade, the Seoul Blockade Line, were revealed in detail.
"The military presumes that the goal of the practitioners leading the survivors in Seoul is to break through the blockade and escape. Through repeated exploration and reconnaissance using US Special Forces and anti-fog scouting drones, it has been revealed that they are extremely hostile toward the military and the current government. Evidence shows they are intentionally luring monsters to breach the blockade."
The Colonel added that they were focusing on evacuating the refugees surviving in Seoul, and then he trailed off.
The Colonel's lips looked exceptionally parched.
He licked them several times, then let out a dry cough, unable to withstand the thirst, before raising his hand.
Unable to continue, the Colonel was replaced by Captain Kim Ho-un, who stepped forward, his prominent cheekbones twitching.
"As a result of your and the nation's bravery in holding out until the seasonal winds shift, China is leaning toward sending volunteers. A deployment plan will soon be discussed through a UN Security Council resolution. The estimated timeframe for the arrival of overseas volunteers or UN forces is roughly two months."
Captain Kim Ho-un let out a long breath to relax his tension before continuing.
"Since we expect the breakthrough attempts from the Seoul survivor groups to be the most intense, you will be redeployed to defend the first blockade line."
A battle between ten million and forty million.
All the mages began to murmur and whisper.
"Is that even possible?"
"Can't we just negotiate? Some Stage 2 Hearing Line mages could just handle it."
Lee Se-jun seemed to think the same, looking at Shin Na-in.
"If Na-in puts in some effort, couldn't this end peacefully?"
"As if that would happen."
Before Shin Na-in could answer, I recalled the journal I saw at the hospital where I met Teratoma.
The journal that spoke of seeking revenge, even if it meant helping monsters breach the blockade.
Outside of Seoul, it was still safe for now.
Even with over ten thousand military casualties, the blockade held.
Because they were shooting dead everything that tried to get out. I still vividly remember the bravery of those firing flamethrowers relentlessly at refugee groups while artillery hammered the outskirts of Seoul.
Even if someone inside Seoul miraculously found communication equipment or restored gear to ask for a ceasefire, they were ignored and shot.
Civilians who approached transport vehicles coming to the outskirts to awaken mages were also shot, as they couldn't be distinguished from monsters.
Until the attempt to forcibly seize a train, the final goal of the units remaining in Yongsan and the Southern Terminal was to block the refugees.
In such a situation, would the survivors in Seoul not have lost their minds?
"But we can't just let forty million citizens die!"
Lee Se-jun's counterargument was the truth.
But I wondered how the survivors, who had been trapped and shelled in Seoul, would react to those same words.
Sure, I'll be shelled to death for the sake of forty million people.
I'll just die since I can't escape—would they really answer like that?
Pastor Park Yo-han sighed while pretending to clean his glasses, and Shin Na-in shrugged with a twitch of his lips. Hamza simply prayed in silent contemplation. Pastor Park, seeing through both sides, quoted the Bible.
"Love your enemies. If you are slapped on one cheek, offer the other. He said it because it is so difficult to follow."
Pastor Park put his glasses back on and quietly closed his eyes.
Shin Na-in closed his eyes as if reflecting on those words, then looked at Lee Se-jun and put his earphones back in.
"While there might be people open to negotiation, it isn't the style of our military to distinguish them one by one. As the subordinates of the Antichrist Pope once said, there is a more certain law."
Lee Se-jun let out a thoughtful hum.
"Kill them all. If everyone is killed, God will save the innocent. Amen!"
I didn't focus on the scale of those numbers or the cruelty of this tragedy.
Sad? Tragic?
Unfortunately, those thoughts didn't cross my mind.
"The policy is to shoot on sight."
Right now, I feel a shiver of excitement.
Magic against magic.
The fact that mages could fight each other!
End
© Hard Explosion #151df