Chapter 101: Filthy Hope

[Translator – Aren]

I was the first to arrive at the Reality Survival Command’s command-and-control room, along with Lee Sejun.

And among the officers whose faces and names I’d memorized, Major General Jeon Minho and Captain Kim Howoon were the only ones there. Of course, there were plenty of American and Korean junior officers busily exchanging communications and shouting back and forth, but things were too urgent for me to remember every single one of them.

As it happened, Major General Jeon Minho was in the middle of rattling off orders to Captain Kim Howoon.

"Captain Kim. Bring Aphorism here. Keep them nearby so that if a deployment order comes down we can put them straight onto a helicopter. Your people can bring their supplies separately afterward.”

"Loyalty!"

And the moment Captain Kim Howoon showed a razor-sharp salute and turned around, our eyes met.

Captain Kim Howoon looked back and forth between me and Lee Sejun, both of us already fully geared up down to our ponchos, and his prominent cheekbones twitched in surprise.

"Wait…even by care, it takes at least 10 minutes to get here. You’re already here?”

At that, Lee Sejun and I looked at each other.

Ordinary non-wizards would’ve bored everyone by going on about their usual workout routines and how they trained themselves.

But for us Supreme Archmages, one phrase was enough.

"Magical physique.”

"Hah…magic really is broken.”

Captain Kim Howoon grumbled as he walked past us.

And less than a minute after leaving he came back.

"Cpatain Kim, what is it? If you’ve got a situation report, make it quick and…”

"They’re here."

"What?"

-Thuuud!

With everyone in the command-and-control room watching, a woman lowered the people she had been carrying around like pieces of luggage. The people tossed onto the floor like garbage bags were familiar faces.

Hamza, Pastor Park Yohan, and Shin Nain.

"Uwegh, blegh.”

"I-I’m never riding that again.”

"Though the road of my life…may not always be smooth~”

As the three Supreme Archmages crawled around together like bugs, Go Ryeoha stood tall, planted her hands on her hips, and looked at us reproachfully.

"Hubae-nim, Sejun-ahjussi! How could you leave without us?! We’re on the same team!”

May 12th, 2028, 2:50 AM.

It took exactly 4 minutes flat for all 6 Supreme Archmages to get fully geared up and reach the Reality Survival Command’s command-and-control room.

Like the hardened field soldier he was, Major General Jeon Minho cut straight through any tedious or overly pedantic explanation and focused only on the clearest, simplest points. For the moment, he simply ignored Hamza, Shin Nain, and Pastor Park Yohan as they complained of motion sickness and dizziness.

"Until now, Command believed this attack was closer to a preliminary probe intended to test our response. However, the aggressiveness displayed by the enemy…[Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes], as named by Aphorism, the 55 Unit under their command, and hostile local survivors believed to belong to the Gangnam group has vastly exceeded Command’s expectations.”

Unlike Lee Sejun, who was listening with perfect focus, I was more curious about what the hell Go Ryeoha had done, so I nudged Pastor Park in the ribs a couple of times with my elbow.

"How did Ryeoha-ssi carry three grown men here?”

"Jesus. Baek Jemin, that’s what you’re curious about right now? I’m dizzy enough to die.”

"Next time, Lee Sejun might be the one carrying you around.”

"That invisible hand thing, whatever it was. You know, Hand-branch, Stage 3, [Telekinesis]. She grabbed me and Nain with it and floated us all the way here.”

That was useful information. At the same time, I could quickly draw an inference from it.

Until now, I had assumed that the penalty for either Hand-branch, Stage 3 or Stage 4 was [Emotional Detachment].

And Go Ryeoha was a wizard who maintained an incomplete but functional mind by cutting away her fear.

She didn’t use Hand-branch, Stage 4, [Material Substitution] all that often, and with magic that consumed blood, the mere fact that you had to bleed was often penalty enough in itself.

If so, then there was a high chance that the penalty of [Emotional Detachment] belonged to Hand-branch. Stage 3 [Telekinesis], which Go Ryeoha seemed to almost constantly keep active.

That was just how versatile magic was, and how even tiny details could provide clues and information.

Once again impressed by the boundless applications of magic, I found myself smiling in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Major General Jeon Minho’s explanation had moved on to the important part.

"It was planned and executed meticulously. We assess that Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes and the forces under their command carried out the offensive in 3 waves.”

1st wave.

Reconnaissance using cheap drones, followed by monster attacks aimed at soldiers who attempted anti-air fire in response to the noise. We had guessed that they would tear off Amalgam head or hang Predator Spines from the drones, but there was another monster far better suited for this kind of bombing.

"For the purpose of triggering explosive outbreaks of infection, we believe the third identified species, the Cellular Degenerative Colony Organism, was packed into plastic bags and suspended beneath drones so that even if a drone were shot down, it would still inflict damage…”

The Cellular Degenerative Colony Organism.

They had scooped the monster we called the Human Slime into plastic bags, hung them from drones, and sent them flying. Because shooting them and bursting the bags only made the damage worse.

Electronic warfare equipment managed to disable some of the drones, but others were carrying Predator Spines or neatly severed Amalgam heads, so the defenders couldn’t simply stop firing at them.

The blockade line soldiers were wearing CBRN suits and gas masks so they could avoid immediate infection, decontaminate themselves, and keep fighting, but as the Human Slime drone attacks continued, soldiers eventually appeared who could no longer withstand mutations, throwing the line into chaos.

"Once the blockade line began to collapse, packs of Amalgams, officially designated as Cranial Fusion-Type Mimetic Organisms, began moving south, and hostile practitioners of Localized Invasive Structural Alteration phenomena were deployed alongside them. The Republic of Korea military has already responded with nerve agents, sustained chemical bombardment, aerial strikes, missiles, and artillery, eliminating a significant number of them, but we assess that those forces were not their true combat forces…”

2nd wave.

The commotion drew the monsters southward.

At the same time, Seoul wizards began attacking the blockade line from nearby positions and attempted to break through.

Naturally, even if they had learned magic, there was never going to be some miracle where a bunch of Seoul wizards who were basically nothing more than ordinary grunts, along with monsters made of flesh, genuinely punched through modern firepower.

Most of them inhaled gas and went straight to the afterlife, while the rest were exposed to the field of fire of the blockade troops after they regained formation and were riddled with bullets.

But the enemy wasn’t completely stupid either.

"...During the defense against the 2nd wave, drones carrying monsters continued pouring down on artillery positions that had revealed themselves, and we believe that was when Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes and the enemy’s true combat assets finally appeared.”

3rd wave.

Monster drones descended on the exposed artillery positions, and while the defenders were reeling, the Gangnam group’s high-level wizards, their true main force, along with the 55 Unit, the 66-Society’s private army, finally appeared on the front.

They inscribed magical inscriptions on their coats to neutralize thermal imaging, long-range observation, night vision, and similar methods, incapacitating the observers.

Fortunately, equipment such as motion sensors, heartbeat detectors, and radar, systems that relied on sound or didn’t require directly viewing an image, still allowed the military to detect the infiltrators, but in the process, a fatal weakness was exposed.

And Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes didn’t let that opportunity slip away.

"Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes is currently demanding that the soldiers remaining in Seongnam defect. They are being ordered to uncover their faces, reveal their names, and surrender before the 55 Unit. Naturally, once their faces and names are exposed, there is no way to stop Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes from cursing them to death at long range.”

Morale.

The soldiers had already been ordered to die where they stood. There were almost no paths left for them to survive.

Only then did I realize the true purpose of this offensive.

Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes wasn’t trying to break through by force.

They were trying to absorb the troops and turn Seongnam’s own guns back around, all without ever exposing themselves directly.

And apparently, that wasn’t all.

"Lord have mercy."

Pastor Park Yohan, who had been listening quietly, pushed his glasses up onto his head and covered his mouth.

"No wonder the army’s been full of nothing but ridiculously young guys. Major General Jeon. You already knew there was someone out there who could kill people once they learned their face and name, didn’t you?”

"We didn’t know who it was. Our suspicions solidified after the previous communications from Seongnam, and now we’re absolutely certain.”

The reason every military officer we’d seen had removed their name tags.

Even if we were civilians, there had been far too few general officers present at important meetings, and people of objectively lower rank than their normal authority would warrant had been exercising actual command…!

"Article 87 of the Criminal Act. Insurrection."

-Thump.

Major General Jeon Minho planted a hand on the table as he spoke.

"Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes is suspected of murdering 61 general officers and field commanders responsible for maintaining the blockade line, seizing weapons, inciting soldiers, refusing to comply with martial law, and attempting to breach the blockade. Standing orders are to immediately kill any individual believed to be Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes on sight.”

Our Supreme Archmages' quarters were reloaded from our private barracks to an area besides the helipad.

It was the worst possible environment, the helicopter rotors battered our eardrums whenever we tried to sleep, and if we stepped outside for even a moment, clouds of dirt battered our ponchos, but nobody dared to complain.

The sirens had stopped, but the commotion throughout the camp hadn’t.

Every time helicopters took off or landed, countless supplies, groaning soldiers, and technicians rushing in for maintenance tangled together.

We Supreme Archmages were in something of a faze as we neatly organized the drinks, simple snacks, sleeping bags, blankets, ammo cans, and other supplies Captain Kim Howoon kept hauling over.

Even Go Ryeoha, who was usually all smiles, looked uneasy enough to twitch her fingers and tap them against the lid of an ammo can.

"That Gangnam ahjussi was always a bit extreme. Especially his hatred toward people outside Seoul.” 

"Do you know anything else?”

Even Lee Sejun, carrying ammo cans, had thrown aside his usual jealousy and inferiority complex to question Go Ryeoha.

The human garbage known as Lee Sejun, who normally raised hell ranting about TS this and TS that, had disappeared. In his place stood Captain Korea, burning with patriotic conviction and determined to repay his debt to the nation. Lee Sejun set the ammo cans down with military precision and gave Go Ryeoha a grave look.

"Ryeoha-ssi. Since I wasn’t one of the people abandoned inside Seoul, I can’t fully understand the hatred you feel toward the people outside.”

"Soldier ahjussi…?”

"But I think I can understand the resentment. The anger you can’t help feeling when everyone turns their back on you. The resentment toward those who were chosen instead. I feel it too, I hate pretty women. And I envy them. So much it drives me insane.”

You fucking bastard.

Every bit of emotion I’d been feeling was shattered instantly.

But Lee Sejun wasn’t finished.

"And even so, I don’t resent having to protect people like that. Because just knowing the life I dream of exists somewhere in this world gives me comfort. I can keep living on the faint hope that maybe someday I’ll be able to live that way too. Even while resenting people who enjoy my dream without paying any price for it, I can still hope because I know that means my dream can exist without a price."

Hope.

The moment that word came out of Lee Sejun’s mouth, every Supreme Archmage fell solemnly quiet.

Hamza weakly lowered his gaze to the floor, Shin Nain gently closed his eyes and quietly slipped off his headset to hang it around his neck, Pastor Park Yohan clasped both hands together in prayer, and Go Ryeoha’s large eyes trembled.

What a fleeting, fragile word it was in the face of a truth everyone knew but chose not to look at.

Our world was collapsing.

Humanity had fractured, and everyone was doing the best they could within their own role, but there was no sign that we were actually pushing back the end that drew closer with every passing moment.

And in that reality, the person carrying the filthiest, most pathetic wish of all said,

"I hope you can have that kind of hope as well, Go Ryeoha-ssi.”

A moment of silence lingered.

Go Ryeoha seemed unable to speak for a while, her lips twitching again and again.

Then tears began silently streaming down her face.

Unable to hide the reddening around her eyes, she wiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks with her wrist over and over.

I didn’t know whether Go Ryeoha had taken the red pill or whether she still believed the Konkuk University survivors were alive.

But one thing was certain. Although she had never shown it, Go Ryeoha had harbored a vicious resentment toward the people outside Seoul.

Without sobbing, she simply kept wiping away the tears streaming down her face until she could no longer keep up, then turned toward us.

For the first time, the eyes of a wizard who had cut away her fear held genuine emotion rather than a false smile.

Sadness, anger, resentment…

And the secret those emotions had been hiding came spilling out.

"3 branches."

At that moment, Shin Nain’s eyes snapped open and his head turned sharply.

"Upright Alteration-type, Eyes-branch, Stage 1. Ears-branch, Stage 4. Tongue-branch, Stage 3.”

Mixed among the secrets pouring out was all the pent-up emotion she had never been able to release.

Go Ryeoha continued, wiping at her tears with a wrist and forearm already soaked through, crying so heavily that tears poured from her eyes even though she still made no sound.

"Gangnam-ahjussi is an Ears-branch wizard.”

"Wait..."

We called him Thousand-Miles Eyes, so why is he an Ears-branch wizard? That was the thought that briefly crossed my mind when something suddenly clicked.

The true power of Eyes-branch, Stage 1 was [Cognitive Expansion].

The distorted square inside the triangle symbolized placing within human sight something that ordinarily could never be contained there.

I had forgotten about it for a long time.

The original performance of Eyes-branch, Stage 1, the full, 100% version of it, was the ability to see everything humans normally couldn’t see, all at once.

In fact, when I had used Tongue-branch magic to remove the range limitation from Eyes-branch, Stage 1, it had demonstrated both monstrous side effects and a glimpse of omnipotent power.

Magic that could see the past, present, future, and things that ordinarily could never be seen.

That was the original capability of Eyes-branch, Stage 1.

The same was true of the other forms of magic.

What each wizard normally used without the support of Tongue-branch magic was, in truth, a heavily degraded version of that magic’s original performance, reduced according to the wizard’s talent and aptitude. The only difference was which aspect of the original ability their talent and aptitude emphasized.

Then.

Did Thousand-Miles Eyes’ Eyes-branch, Stage 1…develop toward long-distance vision because they wanted to see the people they wished to kill from far away?

That was when…

"Ryeoha-ssi.”

Pastor Park Yohan turned toward Go Ryeoha with a firm gaze that still held a trace of compassion.

"What you did was wrong. And it was shameful.”

"Sob, hic.”

"But if you felt ashamed of it, that’s enough. You’ve taken your first step down the road of repentance.”

I could see Shin Nain’s expression souring horribly, but with Go Ryeoha bawling her eyes out and Pastor Park consoling her, he kept his mouth shut.

Hamza and Lee Sejun watched Go Ryeoha finally begin to sob with conflicted expressions.

Once again, we were reminded just how deep the hatred and resentment of the people trapped in Seoul ran toward those outside the blockade line.

But that was enough melodrama.

"Let’s go, Hamza, Lee Sejun, Shin Nain.”

"Jemin-ssi. What about Go Ryeoha-ssi?”

"The pastor’s taking care of the emotional side of things over there. We need to head to Command and report this.”

Hamza narrowed his eyes at me and asked,

"Jemin-ssi. You’re aT, aren’t you?"

"Technically, I am aTETO guy."

Learning that Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes was an Ears-branch wizard was useful for correcting the obvious misconception caused by getting hung up on the nickname Thousand-Miles Eyes.

Pastor Park was already acting as Go Ryeoha’s emotional dumping ground and comforting her, so there was no reason for all four of us to stay stuck here.

Besides, if we went together to report it, the military might share whatever information we had gathered in return.

I slung my rifle over my shoulder and started walking, and the other Supreme Archmages naturally fell into formation.

By now, we understood each other without needing to say anything.

Watching the Supreme Archmages, who had learned that standing in front of me meant getting shot, naturally lined up behind me filled me with satisfaction as I strode proudly toward Command.

Or at least, I would have, if a vehicle carrying Captain Kim Howoon and Corporal Son Gain hadn’t appeared from the opposite direction.

Forced to stop in our tracks, we waited until Captain Kim Howoon pulled over and rolled down the window.

"What happened?”

May 12th, 2028, 5:47 AM.

Dawn was beginning to break, gradually brightening the world around us.

Captain Kim Howoon, riding in the front passenger seat beyond the car door, pointed his thumb toward the back with a deathly pale face.

"We received a transmission from Yongsan Station. A middle-aged woman leading a survivor group. Aphorism needs to verify her identity.”

"Madam Yongsan Station? Why now?”

I voiced what everyone was thinking.

And once again, we were reminded that the world had changed.

"She’s offering to negotiate by sharing information on Gangnam Thousand-Miles Eyes and the forces under their command."

Our world was now staring down an overflowing flood of dopamine.