Qi Blankets the World
Ability users weren't some common resource at this point in time—not by a long shot. It hadn't even been two full years since the gates had ripped open. Just look at the fact that most awakenings happened to people who lived and breathed right next to those portals.
"...So that means there's a high chance they're soldiers, right?"
"Bingo, oh master of summaries! As your reward, you get to fulfill your national defense duty too."
"Arrrgh...!! I just happened to live in Paju for generations, and now on top of malaria¹ I'm cursed with this damn ability too...!!"
Hell, there were zero cases of awakenings past a certain age among conscripts or anyone ranked Mugunghwa or higher. In a world where abilities discriminated by region, age, and even raw power...
The one thing that was fair was gender. Or...
"...Deputy Platoon Leader, so what the hell are we supposed to do when we get there? How do we catch him?"
"W-Well, you're the one who knows that guy best, Il-hwan. Set up a perimeter... go in, capture him, and done, right?"
...Nah, on second thought, female soldiers started with a V-rank guaranteed, so that wasn't fair either.
Already on the tail end of his corporal term, and now military service was dragging on—fucking infuriating. From Corporal Jeong Il-hwan's perspective, dragged into this mess by his troublemaking friend...
"...No, seriously, how the fuck are we supposed to catch that bastard? You expect the poor saps who got conscripted to risk their lives?"
He wasn't some green rookie full of potential, nor a seasoned sergeant with experience on how to survive past mid-term.
"Hey! You think the deputy platoon leader's a joke? When orders come down, you don't whine 'can't do it'—you figure out how to make it happen!"
A guy with zero street smarts but who volunteered for this shit? No way a conscript like him could stand that.
Fuck, this asshole's probation period just ended and shit hits the fan...
"Oh, and you guys and I can't bunk together, so don't forget to pitch the tents before heading up."
Jeong Il-hwan's fingers flushed red as he itched to scorch that damn freckle on her nose—just once.
"Ha..."
"What're you looking at me like that for? If you heard me, answer properly!"
Even with her sharp, venomous glare, the petite deputy platoon leader's adorable face and small stature made her look up at him...
"...Fucking hell... Yes, ma'am. Orders are orders."
"Good. Let's move out... Ugh, why do military vehicles have to have such high steps anyway?"
Her face flushed red, and he felt the urge to strangle her slowly fade away.
In a sausage fest like the army—especially an ability user unit cherry-picked from civilians—Jeong Chorong, the sergeant who could've been a visual idol if not for her cop dad, had clawed her way up.
That grumbling Il-hwan's probably just a tad weaker than her? Why the hell does this shit go down during handover?
Arm propped on the window, she recalled the data on the culprit who'd unnecessarily dragged them out of base.
Strong enough for solo recon, so tougher than her two-man teams. But still, her platoon—including staff like her—totaled eleven. A whole platoon yanked for this.
"Tighten the perimeter, surround him, and beat him down—he'll be subdued in no time, right?"
No area attacks possible, but close-quarters ability users should suffice.
Fwoooosh...!!
"...W-What the hell is that...!!"
...That optimistic thought lasted about five seconds. The world never bent to your will!
Not the whole mountain swallowed, but yanking up a peak near the summit? That sinister black pillar of flame scorching from the top beckoned them like "Come and get it."
"...R-R-Retreat! We gotta retreat...!! This is suicide!"
From Jeong Chorong's mouth—the distance to that "monster" invisible to the brass beside her now clear.
"...Deputy Platoon Leader? What? Retreat? We haven't even reported arrival yet..."
"Y-You can see that, right? You crazy fuck! That's him gearing up to squash us flat!!"
The only officer legally able to order retreat—the one who could save them—blurted it out.
They say fear of death sharpens cold, rational judgment.
"...Damn, threats really do make people see reality. Thanks, Chomo."
He'd witnessed the miracle of an inexperienced optimist turning normal in seconds.
Rubbing his magnesium necklace pendant furiously.
Jeong Il-hwan—who'd never planned to fight anyway—glared up at his friend on the peak.
Of course, no matter how ability users felt, the brass found it baffling.
The hell? We called you to catch him, and now you're screaming and trying to die?
S-Sure, trees and grass withered... but so what?
The unit dragged in for CQC since they couldn't handle it themselves...
"We're all gonna die! You didn't say it was this bad!!"
...was now shrieking "Scary! Operations officer... let us run!!"
"Tch! You're soldiers! Disobeying orders—what kinda bullshit is that?!"
"Have you tried it?! Die after trying!"
Scolding the defeatist young officers was par for the course.
The "only those who see can suggest" retreat got dismissed as junior antics. The grumbling deputy platoon leader—muttering "These lunatics mean I'll die single at this age..."—soon joined her doomed squad in an unwanted hike.
"Request more helos, and if he bolts, prep barrage on escape routes."
"If he doesn't surrender and holds out... worst case, termination."
Perimeter locked at the base—no way down. Insert capture team for beheading... er, apprehension.
Pin with suppressive fire if he bolts, or worst case, funnel his paths. Command believed success watching the noose tighten.
"Kya, yeah. No matter how strong one guy's, surround and pound—no escape!"
"Sucks we can't flex full firepower... but this'll do!"
Right up to Gyeongbokgung, but now total wrong answers submitted.
Rumble...
"Huh? What? Earthquake?"
"Hm, not Japan—quakes aren't common here. Weird."
Grades that abysmal? Love's whip incoming.
First wrong answer: failing to account for changes around the peak Kim Chomo sucked dry.
Bukhansan was rocky, but plants wormed into cracks over time.
Crack...
Rock still clung? Live trees bore the load, dispersing it.
Dead ones? Weak, brittle—snap on light impact.
The massive fractured slab split into boulders, converting potential to kinetic.
CRASH!! Rumble...
Unlike the "cute prank" on the battalion commander who denied discharge.
This? Full-on landslide and rockfall reaping all life around the mountain.
"W-What the—!! Block it! Block them!"
"You know my power?! Can't block and it'd spark wildfires!! Run! Hurry!!"
The "Kim Chomo Capture Platoon" mid-climb dodged sudden rock party desperately.
Lower you are, harder the impact from above.
"...Wh-What?! Rocks!! Look! Boulders... boulders falling!!"
"E-Evacuate—!! Run, everyone—!!"
Command at the base? Their HQ instantly "former" HQ.
"...Gear, comms, personal shit—all under there..."
"...Fuck this, where do we even get op updates now..."
In what they wore, barely alive, command staff gawked blankly at majestic rock tombs.
Standing dumb? Second wrong answer, realized soon.
"Live right and God'll save us! God bless you bastards—!!"
Gawking cost extra artificial rockfall.
BOOM—!!
That psycho up top, Kim Chomo, rolling and hurling shattered boulders everywhere.
Retro games? Monkey barrels—worst case, hospital.
These? Instant gravestone size on impact.
Hammer fantasies aside—most powers went to body enhancement.
"Argh, argh—!! What the fuck is that maniac doing—!!"
Among clueless civvies unaware how deadly rock-throwers were, no options.
What to do? Pray legs save you from compressed-human afterlife.
Natural falls scary, but targeted barrages worse.
Unreadable intent since no rage—pure primitive artillery: fire and forget.
"We planned barrage if needed, but now we're getting barraged—!!"
Even bunker pranks behind quarters packed lethal punch.
Boulders incomparably huge, thrower insanely strong—real artillery jealous.
"Nngh... Helos ETA?! Distract him! Too late if we die first!!"
Command suffering, next: airborne victims' turn.
Helos versatile, firepower kings? Sure.
"...Hellfires?"
"Landslide buried command— what if he dodges?!"
Useless unloaded weapons? Dead weight.
"Tch, minigun³ at least! Caliber dwarfs sniper rifles... human enough."
Only non-landslide arm: guns.
Splat!
"Oof... that packed a wallop. Stings a bit?"
No rebound worries—peak-munching reject youth.
"...Not human!!"
Direct hits? Rips clothes, stalls briefly—no real damage...
"You shoot, I throw, asshole!! Taste DOL-130cm shells!"
Whoosh—!!
"Argh, emergency!! Maniac hurling boulders at us!!"
I spray bullets, he tanks; we take one rock, crash. Unfair!
Limited ammo; he grabs infinite rocks. Mag diff!
-Zzzt...
Rocks keep coming! Mission was distract!! What're you doing?!
"Sorry, but we're crashing before distracting!!"
Below: irregular rock hell.
"Ugh, sent team's our last hope? They better pull through..."
Remaining burden: so-far flawless "Capture Platoon".
"Shuuup... Fuck. Need a smoke bad."
"...Hold it in, Corporal Jeong Il-hwan. We're climbing a tinderbox mountain..."
That unit? Overwhelmed by black energy blanketing the peak before fighting.
Brass clueless they'd marched to certain death.
"...What now? Charging that's suicide... Anyone, ideas?"
"Go up" sans plan—Deputy Platoon Leader Jeong Chorong brainstorms group IQ marathon.
Brass countermeasures? Grunts got plans.
"Hey! Yo! Time!! Chomo!! Bro's here—pause the rock toss!! Negotiate! Nego-ti-ate!!"
Their prayer ninja? Spotted ages ago.
Jeong Il-hwan yelled no rocks from front, hands high, dashing to friend.
"Oh? Puhaha, look at you, hobo-fied!! Knew you'd get dragged since that call!!"
Kim Chomo, caked in dust, clutched belly laughing at his buddy's state. Of course.