9
Chapter 9
Tick-tock...
Only the sound of the second hand from the Colonel's analog watch echoed through the conference room.
Everyone who had listened to the briefing kept their mouths tightly shut.
Sensing the situation was worse than expected, their faces looked pale or completely drained of color. Thanks to the term "Amalgam" being used for that fucking bastard of a monster, I was now even more terrified of going to the dentist.
However, in this tense atmosphere, someone bravely raised his hand to ask the first question. It was a monk who looked to be in his late 40s, wearing traditional Buddhist robes.
After raising his hand to take the floor, the Monk looked back at us—specifically, those of us identified as Mages—and spoke with his long eyebrows arching.
"My Buddhist name is Cheong-hwi. I believe that illuminating the world clearly is akin to illuminating oneself. It seems there is a more pressing matter than reciting sutras or mantras, so I will speak up first."
After saying that, Monk Cheong-hwi narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the Colonel.
"You said you would prioritize locking down Seoul, but that bizarre thing called Amalgam already attacked someone early this morning. At this point, wouldn't blockading the city only intensify the backlash from the refugees inside Seoul and cause distrust in the authorities?"
At those words, the Colonel frowned. Seeing this, a sly-looking man with glasses and a cross necklace—who had been waiting for an opportunity—set his Bible on the table and spoke up.
"That monk isn't wrong. Our Christian reputation might be ruined because of those heretics, but we never abandon people."
He then introduced himself with an air of arrogance.
"Park Yo-han, a Pastor from the Presbyterian Church. I've served as a Military Chaplain, so I know how you soldiers operate, but I question whether this blockade is actually necessary."
As the Monk and the Pastor pressed him, the Colonel maintained his frown and kept silent for a moment.
Then, completely indifferent to their demands, he turned his back, turned off the projector, and raised the white screen, answering them without even looking at them.
"The military has determined that disclosing unnecessary information to the public through the Civilian Advisory Group could provoke extreme panic."
"Hah, seriously. At least tell us if you want our help or not. Don't you know that being completely transparent and asking honestly is the first step to building trust?"
Despite Pastor Park Yo-han's grumbling, the Colonel remained steadfast.
Instead, he merely signaled the officers who had brought the Mages and spoke.
"Officers who brought the Operators, please guide them. We must accurately identify, systematize, and categorize the Operators' magic."
The military is rigid.
They were cold to the civilians as well. Normally, they would have been careful to avoid complaints, but with the situation so urgent, they were blatantly ignoring them.
Sensing this, Monk Cheong-hwi simply let out a hearty laugh, while Pastor Park Yo-han stroked the cover of his Bible and clicked his tongue.
"The ones who always preach that talkative people have weak backing sure act like they're so pure just because they keep their mouths shut."
With Pastor Park Yo-han's grumbling as the final word, the Colonel and the command staff left the room like an ebbing tide.
All that remained was the title of Operator, the Mages who had become Operators, and the officers who seemed to know something.
There were a total of three officers who stayed until the end, and among them was our First Lieutenant, Shin Han-gi.
The first officer to step up was a Captain named Kim Ho-un. He had slightly prominent lips and sharply defined cheekbones, giving him the look of a field-grade officer who had been through a lot.
If it weren't for his rank insignia, I would have mistaken him for a Sergeant Major.
Anyway, Captain Kim Ho-un fiddled with the projector again and lowered the screen. Muttering to himself, he brought up a different PowerPoint presentation.
"You had us sit down, only to turn off the projector and raise the screen, so what's the plan?"
After clearing his throat a few times, Captain Kim Ho-un began an explanation that sounded more like a presentation, tapping the screen with his hand.
The title of the PowerPoint was [Overview of Localized Invasive Structural Alteration].
And just like that, we Mages found ourselves suddenly learning the concepts of magic, something we never imagined existing in this world.
***
Captain Kim Ho-un's presentation caused quite a stir among the Operators—roughly speaking, from our perspective as Mages.
Pastor Park Yo-han, in particular, adjusted his glasses, clearly unable to hide the sparkle in his eyes.
"So you're saying. People with faith can perform unique miracles?"
"We are currently hypothesizing that individuals with faith—those somewhat devoted to their religion—use unique magic aligned with their respective religious teachings."
The military classified this as Faith Magic, or Dogma-type Magic.
Dogma-type Magic was known to manifest among devout believers; the military presumed it wasn't something every believer could use, but rather that it emerged in different forms depending on their specific religious teachings.
At this, a middle-aged man with a buzz cut and a necklace of prayer beads sitting next to Monk Cheong-hwi exclaimed in a thin voice.
"Ohoho. If that's the case, then there's a separate common category for that invasive whatever-it-is, right?"
"Yes. Those are the magic learned by the folks without religion over there. They are active-duty soldiers or mobilized Reservists who awakened through Magic Runes."
Captain Kim Ho-un said, gesturing in our direction.
Suddenly, the soldiers in their combat uniforms found themselves under the scrutiny of the religious figures.
With a bored expression, Captain Kim Ho-un tapped the screen again to draw our attention back and continued speaking.
"Magic that manifests accidentally in the fog while following religious precepts and teachings, represented by dogmas, is classified as Dogma-type, while those who awakened through geometric characters found in the fog are tentatively classified as Alteration-type."
"What exactly is the difference between the two?"
A Priest adjusting the collar of his clerical garb, sporting a neat 2:8 hair parting, broke his silence and spoke for the first time.
He was a young Priest, though his slightly yellowish eyes suggested he might have jaundice.
At this, Captain Kim Ho-un showed a chart drawn in the military's signature administrative format and explained.
"The Dogma-type uses denomination-specific magic presumed to stem from religious precepts and teachings. Currently confirmed ones include the most common in Korea: Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism—these three."
Captain Kim Ho-un then explained the magic that the military had identified over the past two months through military chaplains and priests.
1. Protestantism. Their magic is [Soteriological Certainty]. The more strictly they adhere to religious precepts, the more they are blessed with incomprehensible luck that can only be described as a miracle. For example, someone might be trapped under collapsing building rubble, about to be crushed to death, but miraculously, the debris would overlap in such a way that it creates a safe space and path for them to walk out unharmed.
2. Catholicism. Their magic is [Communion]. After attending Mass and receiving the Holy Communion, they can resist being fused by an Amalgam's attack and actually push it back for a certain period. However, the exact duration of this period is presumed to vary depending on the individual Priest, and they cannot afford to test it recklessly.
3. Buddhism. Their magic is [Mantra Chant]. By reciting sutras and mantras, they can suppress instinctive fear, and even suppress the instinctive fear felt by those around them. This magic's effect is strengthened when recited in Sanskrit; however, since Sanskrit scriptures are rare in Korea, the government is currently doing its best to secure Sanskrit scriptures and various Buddhist texts from places like India, China, and Japan.
Captain Kim Ho-un flipped the screen and continued.
"Given these examples, it is predicted that Dogma-type Magic would exhibit different effects for those of other faiths, but as you know, aside from these major established religions, the presence of other faiths is somewhat lacking."
It was then that Captain Kim Ho-un subtly glanced at a foreigner wearing a turban.
The foreigner wearing the turban noticed the gaze and immediately waved his hands as he answered.
"I'm not an Imam. I read the Quran and follow Sharia, but I also drink soju with Korean pork belly at the pub."
Looking at him now, he was an honorary Korean wearing a turban.
It was then that the distinctively thin voice of the skinhead man with the prayer beads rang out loud and clear.
"What about Muism? Isn't our people's indigenous faith, which holds the soul of the Korean people, an established religion?"
"Bosal Geulmun, please don't be too angry. The Soldiers probably only mentioned the military chaplains and priests they have in the armed forces."
While Monk Cheong-hwi huffed and tried to calm the skinhead man down, I realized a shocking truth and turned my head.
I happened to lock eyes with a Soldier who had his eyes wide open, just like me.
Bosal?
Bosal Geulmun, noticing the soldiers' agitation, glared in our direction.
"These rascals. You're telling me these guys use magic too? Hah! Never. It's bizarre and utterly uncanny. Dogma-type Magic? If what we use is that, then what they use is sorcery, pure sorcery!"
"I'm still explaining. The Soldiers only learned it by accident, so please don't be like that. I'll now tell you about the Alteration-type Magic these guys use."
Captain Kim Ho-un, his voice dripping with exhaustion, finally began to explain our situation.
"Alteration-type Magic refers to cases where a specific effect is applied to a certain part of the body."
Currently, the military had identified three main types of Alteration-type Magic.
The first was the Eyes. You gain the ability to see things a normal human couldn't. Whether it's seeing through walls, distinguishing heat like thermal vision, or seeing the future like me. Regardless, if you can see what an ordinary human cannot, you have awakened the Alteration-type Magic - Eyes.
The second was the Ears. You could hear the inner voices of other people. Of course, you had to concentrate like crazy, and you couldn't be certain it would work on your intended target. It seemed to be completely random.
The third was the Heart Line. It was said to grant a much superior metabolic efficiency than before. For instance, even after sprinting at full speed for 30 seconds, you wouldn't easily feel out of breath. Of course, there was a rebound, though.
"There seem to be more besides these, but these three are the only categories the military has identified so far."
Only then did I realize where the term Localized Invasive Structural Alteration originated from.
"So the Alteration-type Magics were discovered first. By throwing the soldiers into the meat grinder."
If Dogma-type Magic had been discovered first, they would have used more religious terms. Or academic ones.
At the question I threw out while thinking that, I saw Captain Kim Ho-un raise an eyebrow.
"Hmm. It's good that you're quick on the uptake. That's exactly what I'd expect from someone who has awakened the Alteration-type Magic - Eyes category."
Eyes.
The people who caught onto its meaning looked at me differently.
The religious figures, and even the Soldiers who were just as bewildered as I was, sent me subtle, indescribable looks.
Captain Kim Ho-un had to tap the screen again to draw back our attention.
"Anyway, the reason you are all gathered here is to share knowledge as Operators and establish a system to cooperate in case the fog rolls in again. The goal is to help each other grow, maintain the Blockade Line with the military, and repeatedly conduct reconnaissance in Seoul to acquire more knowledge, ultimately finding a clue to solve this incident."
"This humble monk is concerned about this so-called blockade. It feels as though you regard Seoul not as a place to reclaim, but as one to be destroyed."
Captain Kim Ho-un frowned at those words before letting out a deep sigh.
"I cannot yet tell you the exact reason Seoul was blockaded or the detailed timeline. We didn't want to watch the footage either, but we're Soldiers, so we had to. Please don't press us too hard."
"You said there were more types of Monsters than that."
This time, I pressed the attack.
As First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi looked back at the other officers with a flustered and frantic gaze, the other Mages' eyes darted between me and the officers, seemingly hearing this for the first time.
Only Captain Kim Ho-un glared at First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi as if he wanted to kill him, before letting out heavy sighs and finally answering.
"I really didn't want to say this, but since you are Operators, I will tell you. Currently, there are three identified species for which the military has established precise tactical responses, including the Amalgam."
Captain Kim Ho-un mouthed for First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi to follow him later, then chewed on his lower lip before speaking again.
"And there are eleven Unidentified Species that the military presumes to exist based on the circumstances. That is all."
***
As soon as we returned to the breakroom, First Lieutenant Shin Han-gi gave me a resentful look before slumping his shoulders and walking away.
Instead, the Driver who had remained in the breakroom thoughtfully made two cups of coffee and handed them to the Lieutenant.
"Take these and have a chat while you drink."
"Uh, right. Treat the Operator well."
The Driver stood stiffly at attention, saluting until the Lieutenant left.
Once we were the only ones left in the breakroom, the Driver practically flew over and clung to me as he spoke.
"O-Operator."
"Yes?"
"My... my mom said she was going to visit my older sister in Seoul."
"..."
"Please look for my mom later. Han, Suk, Ja. Han Suk-ja. She has permed hair and a heavy accent..."
I quietly listened, picturing the typical middle-aged woman the Driver was describing in my mind.
Then, with a smile, I reassured him.
"Don't worry."
"Operator!"
"If we find Han Suk-ja, I'll probably bite the dust right alongside her, so she won't be lonely."
"...."
End