That Raw Power, Uprooting Mountains – Until Just This Morning
That power—uprooting mountains—had belonged to Kim Chomo, a guy with zero criminal record until this very morning. But before the day was out, he'd turned into a major criminal that would make even hardened felons weep.
"Eh, getting dragged off again is annoying as fuck... but as a first-time offender, I'd probably just write an apology letter, re-enlist, and dodge prosecution altogether."
His first offense—defying the national draft call-up—might've landed him nothing more than a fine at worst. But then came skipping the troops sent to nab him, fleeing the scene, and in the process, "splitting the human wave apart...!!"
Even that could've been excused as "I was scared," earning him a suspended sentence under the Korean legal system's solemn grace. Twice conscripted into the military—what guy hasn't been there twice over? It was prime material for rage-fueled petitions from pissed-off Korean men.
But at this point, there was no retreating. Kim Chomo was inescapably building a rap sheet. Flipping cars with brute force and snatching the brigade commander meant no more games.
Some might say, "Hey, couldn't he have just straight-up refused service and held out?"
"Once you start making cases like mine, it's endless bullshit. You gotta cause one incident to make people wake the fuck up."
Forced into something he hated, rolling around the front lines unlike regular grunts—scouting monster dens as his hellish daily grind. And now they want him to do it again for that pay? Don't force on others what you wouldn't do yourself—every religion preaches that.
"Society only learns through pain, so if they don't wanna get hit next time, they'll come prepared."
Before this bastard pulled the same stunt on someone else and escalated, a lesson was needed.
"And hey, the damage is this light only 'cause it's me. What if it was a status effect user?"
Letting area-of-effect damage dealers hold grudges in a packed city like this—what the hell were they thinking passing those laws?
So far, injuries were just two Cheonggyecheon nutrient donors. No serious casualties from this pro protester's lament.
The innocent question from a young viewer struggling to find real info looped back.
Thanks to most early ability users being soldiers serving right at gate frontlines post-initial outbreak, they had no clue how far past the Maginot Line they'd crossed—with that casual tone.
"Sorry, but even making a truck driver dizzy is an instant major accident."
The bigger the city, the easier a tiny domino topples everything. A strong ability user hiding in a building, tainting nearby roads with their power? Boom—30-car pileup.
"Nah? You think powerhouses like that pop up easy? Right now, it's topping out at one or two targets max."
"Mine started as just a bit more energetic and quick movement too, y'know."
What Kim Chomo felt constantly draining plants was that abilities leveled up with use.
"And yeah, linear growth is rare."
Survive a near-death scrape, body gets tougher next time. Punches not landing? Fists pack more punch. Adapting to crises or hitting proficiency thresholds, abilities sometimes branched wildly.
"Conversely, some burn future potential to survive the moment."
The more desperate the heart, the more grotesquely twisted the growth—rare, but it happened.
And Kim Chomo, first to "normally" discharge from gate-hell military, had seen it most.
"Early days, a few awakened mid-being eaten alive by monsters..."
Problem with crisis awakenings? No friend-or-foe distinction—like live bombs.
One victim nearby got organs gnawed by illusions—eyes, specifically.
"Turned milky white like cataracts... screaming they couldn't see."
Saved their life, but blinded forever. The victim vanished from the unit one day.
"Oh, that guy? Right now..."
TAANG—!!
Kim Chomo's head snapped hard—like no time for chit-chat. Sniper fire.
"Target, headshot... falling sideways... no, he's standing back up!"
Even in a national treasure hotspot like this, they couldn't shell him with artillery—but snipers on nearby high-rises? Fair game. The rifle: U.S.-made anti-materiel sniper that punched through armored vehicles.
'What if he dies? Tough luck! Ever seen terrorists negotiate?! Shoot!'
This shot after his rampage was meant to warn: don't fuck with ability users.
"Ow, fuck... gonna bruise. You bastards!"
Maybe from draining every touchable tree en route north, forests' worth of energy bulged in his veins.
For him, tanked off guard? Minor injury, nothing more.
"Opponent's playing fun games? Mind if I counter-snipe real quick? Rip off a Haetae statue?"
"Gah! Adjutant! Stop him! If that gets wrecked, it's on us!!"
Brigade commander yelling desperately at his now-fiery psycho didn't faze him.
"Watching the stream? The asshole who planned that shot—bring him to me in 15 minutes or bust."
—Or that building's mascot becomes shattered glass and Haetae chunks from today on.
They should've realized by now: he followed through on threats.
Soon, a cop approached hands-up, glum-faced...
"...Here as requested. But release the hostage, or next shot's coming."
"Watched a hostage negotiation flick? Snap out of it, buddy!"
WHACK—!!
"Guhk...!!"
In this first-meet, demands flew faster than greetings—back-of-head smack as penalty.
Stiff uniform on a mid-age guy screamed fast-track career.
"Wh-what the hell! Assaulting an unarmed officer...!!"
WHACK!!
Broken TV needs one smack; if no fix, two. Same logic.
"Hrgh... Don't you know how serious— Ah! No! Hands down, please!"
"This prick thinks he's my boss? Haetae instead of you? You're tougher than stone?"
Irrelevant to Kim Chomo, versed only in smacking till fixed.
WHACK!!
"Gak...!!"
Extra for the bullet-sender.
"Perfect timing. You two! Pack up—we're heading out!"
"...What?"
Last-second hostages turned whistleblowers gawked, jaws slack.
"First day at boot camp, drill sergeant barked that at us moping in."
—You dragged here against your will?! Forced, right?!
Swallowing that injustice despite truth? Those days were gone.
"Last stretch: share the misery with this damn bastard who got dragged unfairly too—tough it out!"
Instant thumbs-up sea and weird gray-face emoji flood from strangers.
Viewers typing proper chat echoed that vibe.
"Alright, final moments via helicopter zoom lens, not this crap phone! Bye!"
Phone died post-farewell. Kim Chomo pocketed his battery-drained device, hoisting the slumped winner one-handed.
"I'm moving now—don't get swept up. Play dead, claim mental trauma and injuries. Got it?"
"...This real? Or am I still knocked out dreaming? No clue."
Brigade commander, dazed from kidnapping hoax to sudden freedom, staggered off with adjutant toward Gyeongbokgung entrance.
"Gaaah—where's this?! Why am I floating—!!"
"Huh?! Don't thrash, idiot! High altitude—no landing roll if you drop!"
Victim-perp duo rocketed higher over Gyeongbokgung toward the north.
"Driving me nuts—brigade commander and adjutant's back, good... but..."
While chopper pursued the figures vanishing northward over Gyeongbokgung, trackers via captured cop's phone realized his destination's peril.
"Insane—another shell here, who knows what happens...?"
Gyeongbokgung? Worst case, shell and rebuild. But his new spot? Terrain sparking every disaster post-blast.
Predicted target: Seoul's northern landmark.
Bukhansan!
"Gyeongbokgung to Palgakjeong, Palgakjeong to Doseonsa... straight up. Ridge soon."
Precise coords confirmed: summit-bound.
"Sun's up soon—he hides in crowds, done. Why a ghost town?"
Staff puzzled at ditching advantage.
"...Like saying 'encircle all you want—what now?' Pure provocation."
Profiler nailed it.
"Provocation? Could do that downtown."
Stunned military-police pressed.
"Avalanche risk—no explosives. What can tired uphill grunts do?"
Exhausted troops vs rested mini-tank with hostage? Plus mountain chaos—guerrilla hell.
"Sniper barely stings that monster—our rifles? Mosquito bites."
Grenades? Catch and toss back. Concentrated fire? He tanked a headshot.
Blasting away at unscathed foe? Picked off, wiped out.
Army wasn't that incompetent.
"...So what now?"
"Monster needs a monster. You got 'em in your units—match his level."
Profiler pushed ability users amid all-or-nothing. Others knew:
'Sigh, heard they're slacking on purpose...'
'No leverage... sweet-talk for this once?'
Past policies: more concessions barely bought a knife.
"Fight Kim Chomo sergeant? After that shitshow? Hell no."
"One hit, I'm with Jesus before ability pops—what draft?!"
Soldiers balked at dawn calls demanding life-risk.
"These fuckers?! Disobey and brig? Full gear, crawl out—tell 'em!"
Higher Capital Defense general rank-pulled juniors—success, barely...
WHIIIRRR—!!
Seoul-wide faint roar's meaning hit.
"...Gods are pissed...!!"
"Ah, if my service was up, I'd lounge washing rice in my cozy unit..."
Legs buckled at 800m pillar of energy erupting.
"Pulled ability users? Full war now."
Rocky Bukhansan? Trees, grass—plants galore.
Forest-guzzler jammed a straw in the mountain, slurping hard.
Flutter...!!
"Gah—birds and rats fleeing to civvy zones—plague!!"
"Wtf, migratory birds bailing already?! Country's fucked!! Aigoo!!"
Normies miss energy, but not dread. Animals sensed life-ruining doom first, flooding downhill.
Soon, like ink drop in water from his spot: brown, lifeless deathspread.
A whole mountain's vitality sucked dry into one man's flesh and power—ability users watched, awed.
"What?! Where you going! You're ordered here!! Desertion— Aak!!"
"Crazy fuck! My fire's just sparks—how block that?!!"
Fragging. Mentals shattered, gunning superiors to flee hell—bonus.