Chapter 94: Change Is Closer Than You Think

[Translator – Aren]

May 8th, 2028, 5:26 AM.

Before entering the command room, I turned off my phone first.

Judging from the time displayed on the screen, Captain Kim Howoon must have spurred Corporal Son Gain pretty damn hard while he was behind the wheel.

Hamza and Lee Sejun turned theirs off as well and began following behind me.

I rubbed at the corners of my mouth that kept trying to rise and cleared my throat.

"Why didn’t you guys just go in first and grab seats?"

"Jemin-ssi, you said you’d shoot us if we went ahead of you.”

"I like being safe. I don’t want to do anything dangerous.”

"What the hell do you people think I am?”

I let out a dry, disbelieving laugh.

Anyone overhearing us would think I actually shot people the instant they stepped in front of me.

Sure, I might be a little self-centered, but would I really shoot someone dead just because they walked ahead of me?

Sometimes I felt like my reputation and treatment among the Supreme Archmages were unfairly terrible.

I rubbed the corners of my mouth and spoke to clear up the misunderstanding.

"I’ll shoot you if you stand out more than me from behind as well. Let’s go.”

At that, Captain Kim Howoon, who had been standing in front of us as our escort quietly moved behind the group.

From a short distance away, Captain Kim Howoon showed his authorization badge to the military police guarding the command room and said,

"Baek Jemin-ssi, Hamza-ssi, Lee Sejun-ssi. Three members of Aphorism entering.”

When we entered the command room guarded by the military police, we found officers who looked twice as busy as usual.

They were rushing back and forth, checking every piece of communications equipment they could get their hands on while barking something in English, so I decided they must be extremely busy and left it at that.

Instead, I turned my attention toward an out-of-place presence in one corner of the command room.

In a place where everyone wore uniforms and kept themselves neat, this person with their hair tied in a ponytail stood out far too much.

Lee Sejun, Hamza, and I joined them a little later and sat down in the empty chairs.

Only then did Captain Kim Howoon, who had been trailing obediently behind us, rush toward Major General Jeon Minho and salute.

"Loyalty! All members of Aphorism have assembled.”

"Hm. Stand by."

"Loyalty!”

Captain Kim Howoon stood beside us while making a show of smacking his lips.

Unlike him, whose expression looked like he’d bitten into the guts of a clam while eating shellfish, Go Ryeoha, who had arrived before us, spotted us and waved with a bright smile.

"Hubae-nim, and the ahjussis are here too!”

"Master. This is important, so let’s save the small talk for later.”

Getting out there and earning experience points was more urgent than playing Go Ryeoha’s emotional dumping ground.

With looks like Go Ryeoha's, there had to be more than enough soldiers around this US military camp willing to hit on her and serve as her emotional trash can anyway. I had more urgent things to do. Quickly and efficiently take care of my sex drive with a little rubbing, then run around farming magic.

Lee Sejun and Hamza both turned toward me as though shocked by my response.

Go Ryeoha blinked and stared at me blankly, while Major General Jeon Minho and Captain Kim Howoon glanced between us before nodding.

-Tap, tap.

Major General Jeon Minho tapped the whiteboard with a marker and spoke.

"Since I’m impressed by Baek Jemin-ssi’s enthusiastic attitude, we’ll get straight to the point."

If I were to summarize Major General Jeon Minho’s explanation according to how I understood it, it went like this.

1. There were several areas where the fog hadn’t disappeared.

2. The specialist soldiers and civilian Operators currently available to the military had clear limits in terms of aptitude and ability, while even the troops experienced enough to deal with these situations were suffering from extreme fatigue.

3. Therefore, since we Supreme Archmages had demonstrated enough operational capability to function in teams of three, Command had gone so far as to make the risky decision to split us into two teams and deploy us simultaneously to different locations.

"There are currently two operational areas being requested by the Korean-US Combined Command.”

Major General Jeon Minho said that as he drew several lines across the board with a marker.

"First. The fog hasn’t disappeared from a hospital in Anyang that was being used as a military hospital. The building is approximately 14 to 15 stories tall, and unusually, the fog is said to surround the building as though wrapping around it. The survivors inside are currently isolated on separate floors. Due to the importance of the facility and the need to put it back into use, Aphorism has been selected for deployment.”

Lee Sejun clicked his tongue and recited what had become perfectly ordinary common sense in 2028.

"Can’t we just gas the place? It seems better to thin them out quickly and decontaminate it afterward.”

"The use of chemical munitions was considered. However, there’s a possibility that equipment and facilities may be damaged during decontamination, and certain entities such as Neural Parasitic Amalgams may be difficult to eliminate that way. Therefore, a method that minimizes collateral damage was sought instead. I hope that answers your question.”

Not rescuing the survivors trapped inside the military hospital, but performing a precision strike aimed at recovering infrastructure.

That realistic objective moved the hearts of us Supreme Archmages.

The people trapped inside would probably rather we wiped out the monsters first, then painstakingly searched for them one by one anyway. If some clueless bastard came running up yelling ‘Somebody save me!’ like an old arcade light-gun game, there’d be no mercy.

Hamza went one step further and tried to get an explicit answer.

"Do we have to rescue the people trapped inside too?”

"It’s recommended. However, considering the difficulty of the operation and the fact that you’re civilians without formal military training, Command has judged that to be an unreasonable demand and excluded it from the mission requirements. You don't need to concern yourselves with it.”

What a heartwarming sight.

The military respected us enough to keep the mission conditions loose, while we got to draw from military supplies and quickly carry out operations for them. It was almost unfair that the first time I had ever seen such a beautiful and fair relationship in the Republic of Korea had to be while the world was falling apart.

So the next destination was...

"No."

Everyone’s eyes turned to one side.

Me, Lee Sejun, Hamza, Major General Jeon Minho, even Captain Kim Howoon. We were all looking at the same person.

Go Ryeoha.

She had pulled down her mask, placed her left hand over her chest, and closed her eyes gently as she spoke in a calm but firm voice.

"We shouldn't abandon even a single person lightly. Especially in times this difficult. We might not be able to save everyone, but…”

When Go Ryeoha opened her eyes again, they were sparkling like a golden retriever’s.

"If there are survivors still struggling to stay alive, then I’ll struggle alongside them. If you promise continued support for the people from Konkuk University, I’ll volunteer for the mission to the military hospital in Anyang!”

I hurriedly turned toward Major General Jeon Minho and said,

"I’ll definitely take the next mission.”

Major General Jeon Minho twisted his eyebrows, then continued explaining while drawing more lines across the board.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, Baek Jemin-ssi. However, the other mission is blockade-line defense. According to satellite reconnaissance, the fog is expanding from the southeastern outskirts of Seoul, andGwangju City in Gyeonggi Province has requested additional forces to defend against it. The objective there is to kill and hold back monsters.”

"Me, me!”

I even raised my hand and shouted at the top of my lungs, but Major General Jeon Minho continued speaking without even pretending to listen.

"They need capabilities such as the ability to project firepower within a short period of time, detection capabilities that can direct friendly firepower, and the psychological stability to prevent the soldiers from becoming agitated.”

Firepower in a short period of time? I could just stop time and shoot.

Direct friendly firepower? I could enhance Eyes-branch, Stage 1 with Tongue-branch magic and mark whatever I could see.

Psychological stability? The first Great Archmage to master all five branches, the man with a star drawn over his heart, Baek Jemin himself, the person currently most actively working to maintain the blockade line, was definitely going there. How could anyone possibly not feel reassured?!

Every single requirement pointed directly at me.

"The capabilities we have identified in Baek Jemin-ssi have exceeded our expectations. In a good way. Your judgment in combat is exceptional, you have Instructor Song Smith’s recommendation, and you can wield an extremely diverse range of magic. In other words, you are Aphorism's greatest combat asset.”

As I listened to Major General Jeon’s objective and impartial assessment, I found myself reflecting for the first time in ages on the spirit ofHongik Igan.

Defend the blockade line.

At this very moment, an indomitable sense of duty to postpone the end of humanity was setting the heart of this Great Archmage Baek Jemin ablaze!

"We therefore respectfully request that you volunteer for the clearing operation at the Anyang military hospital, the harshest and most complex combat environment, and the one most difficult to assess.”

Well, damn.

I had no idea Command thought so highly of me.

I looked Major General Jeon Minho straight in the eyes and passionately expressed my conviction.

"General, I appreciate the high regard in which you hold my abilities, but I believe that mission requires superior searching and detection capabilities. Aphorism has personnel far more capable than I am in those areas, while I’m merely support personnel who compensate for whatever my teammates lack, so I’m deeply concerned by Command’s judgment that I should serve as the core of the operation. Furthermore, in a multistory indoor environment where close-quarters combat is inevitable, my lack of formal military training places clear limitations on me, and perhaps this is a situation where experienced military tactics are more necessary than relying on the versatility of magic…”

By the time I reached the helicopter pad, everything had already been decided.

Pastor Park Yohan and Shin Nain had boarded a helicopter ahead of time and were waving us over.

"Lee Sejun! What are you doing? Hurry up and get in!”

"Me? Without Jemin-ssi?”

"Jemin-ssi is the kind of person you can slot in anywhere like a spare piece. He’ll be able to help more people if he goes where he’s needed most.”

Lee Sejun blinked a few times, then picked up his K15 machine gun and joined Shin Nain and the pastor.

Defending the blockade line in Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province.

That was the mission this team was heading to.

There was no way in hell I wanted to get saddled with the other mission by myself, so I cried out toward Shin Nain.

Why was I the only one getting excluded from exp farming?!

"Shin Nain, they don’t need your detection abilities over there. Switch with me!”

-Clunk.

The instant Lee Sejun climbed abroad, I could have sworn the helicopter dipped slightly. Considering he had boarded with his backpack stuffed full of ammunition boxes on top of carrying a machine gun, he was bound to weigh quite a bit more than an ordinary infantryman.

But what weighed even more heavily on my heart was Shin Nain’s relaxed smile.

"That’s true, Jemin-ssi. My abilities may not be necessary where we’re going.”

"Then hurry but and…”

"But your abilities are necessary where you’re going. Amen.”

Meanwhile, Lee Sejun poked his head back out and added in an irritating tone.

"Jemin-ssi. We need to kill monsters and unlock new branches or learn new magic too. You can't monopolize everything. People can’t spend their whole lives doing only what they want. Only children have the privilege of simply chasing their dreams. Being an adult means doing things you don’t want to do too.”

"Lee Sejun! Then what the hell is that disgusting wish of yours?!”

"Waah."

-Rattle!!

The helicopter door slid shut.

With the violent wind whipping around and the monstrous roar of the rotors muffling my ears, I had no choice but to turn my head away.

But turning away did nothing to make the sadness disappear.

Because in the direction I turned, another helicopter was waiting with its door gaping open like the jaws of a wild beast.

"Hubae-nim~. Let’s go save some people~.”

Go Ryeoha was beckoning to me while waving her gas mask, her poncho inscribed with an ancient Hebrew warding incantation draped over her shoulders like a shawl.

Across from her, Hamza sat with his head bowed, his face completely drained of color.

I really didn’t want to go.

Still, I stepped forward while grinding my teeth furiously in my head. Naturally, I didn’t actually do it, for the sake of my dental health.

But remembering what Lee Sejun had said earlier made my blood boil over again.

"’Waah’ my ass."

I climbed aboard the helicopter too and shut the door.

-Rattle!

Fine. Gotta do what you gotta do.

Once I regained my composure by thinking positively, a change in perspective quickly followed.

There were mobs in the hospital too, right? If I killed them, I’d also gain experience points.

Then an even more brilliant idea occurred to me.

Come to think of it, if I went to the bathroom three times before entering the hospital, wouldn’t that double my exp?

At that moment, Hamza stared at me with his deathly pale face twisted into an awful grimace.

"Jemin-ssi. Don’t think dangerous thoughts.”

"You can't read minds, right? You’re not even an Ears-branch wizard, so how do you know?”

"Because I’m constantly checking whether whatever you’re thinking is dangerous or not.”

"Aha."

Our Hamza really worried about pointless things far too much.

The fact that Holy Relic Hamza had no chance of running away was overwhelmingly reassuring, but a holy relic probably wouldn't be able to cook ramen for me.

I actually really liked Hamza’s ramen.

The Go Ryeoha’s eyes sparkled as she barged into our conversation.

"Ohoho, these ponchos smell stronger than I expected. So this is the scent of comradeship. The smell of bonds forged between brothers-in-arms, right?”

"Master, the way you’re putting that is kind of disgusting.”

If comradeship smelled this rank, I’d rather live without it.

I put on my gas mask and breathed.

Then, as the helicopter lifted off and the sudden motion made my head spin, I immediately curled up. Someone grabbed me and pulled me over. Then I felt something relatively soft supporting the weight of my head.

No way… Is this a lap pillow?

I was lying on someone’s lap right now, right?

I barely managed to suppress the nausea rising in my throat before opening my mouth.

“Hamza. Put me back where I was.”

"Jemin-ssi, that’s not me.”

"?"

My mind snapped fully awake.

Apparently I had escaped the worst-case scenario of Hamza giving me a lap pillow. Then what the hell was this?

The moment I hurriedly tried to sit up, a hand more slender than I expected and far stronger than I was prepared for pushed me back down.

"Hubae-nim, you look motion-sick, so just lie down. I guess since I only just joined the Suprem–...Pffft. The Supreme Archmages, I’m still lacking, right?”

Come to think of it, Go Ryeoha was also a Heart-branch, Stage 2 wizard.

That meant that while I was fighting dizziness and trying not to puke, she was someone I couldn't physically shake off.

"That’s comradeship!"

*t*t*

May 8th, 2028, 5:41 PM.

I practically tumbled out of the helicopter. I threw my backpack out first, then threw myself after it.

"Ah! Hubae-nim, you’ll hurt yourself doing that!”

"Haah, huff…”

That was dangerous.

The reason of this pure and chaste Great Archmage had been one step away from collapsing under the weight of carnal desire.

Hamza climbed out after me, looked down at me like I was pathetic, and handed me a bottle of water.

"Jemin-ssi. Just go for it like a man.”

"Stepping on a landmine doesn’t make you a man. It makes you stupid.”

I twisted off the cap and immediately poured the water over my face.

Ah, refeshing.

Unlike my burning body, the water was still freezing cold. I could feel the helicopter pilot staring at me in contempt from behind his sunglasses, but I pretended not to notice.

And so our Group A from hell, me, Hamza, and Go Ryeoha, a team that could give the Suicide Squad a run for its money, arrived at a park in downtown Anyang. The helicopter had landed in a clearing created by cutting down the trees in said park, and soldiers along with tanks were already packed densely throughout the surrounding roads.

The problem was that the hospital in question happened to sit right in the middle of downtown.

Just as the briefing had said, dense fog could be seen hanging thickly around the building out to a radius of about 10 meters. Like a cloud bank clinging to a mountain peak.

It looked pretty damn dangerous.

Which was why, the moment my dizziness subsided, I turned toward Hamza and asked,

"Hamza. How’d you even manage to come to a place like this?”

Hamza answered with a gloomy expression.

"Command thinks my magic is too weak outside the fog, so they wanted to test it here.”

"Ah."

So was that why they were gathering Muslims? To make his divination more reliable even outside the fog?

Hamza’s Dogma-type magic, [Angel’s Intuition], really was far too vague when there was no fog around. From Command’s perspective, they probably hated assumptions like ‘maybe,’ so it was obvious they wanted to find out whether the ability was genuinely useful.

Then I noticed a group of officers approaching after spotting our landing.

Once again, every last one of them had removed their name tags.

The one who looked like the commander was a lieutenant colonel with thick lips and a frog-like face.

"Loyalty. The three members of Aphorism sent from Pyeongtaek, correct?”

"Yes."

I answered with a simple salute.

The frog-faced lieutenant colonel frowned slightly at my sloppy salute but apparently remembered that I was a civilian and decided not to make an issue of it before beginning to guide us.

"Good, we'll be providing support for many things you might need. There is, however, one thing you should be careful about.”

"Maintaining confidentiality?”

"Over there.”

The frog lieutenant colonel gestured toward one corner with his chin.

Naturally, I turned to look. A block away, troops were moving in formation, bringing tanks and armored vehicles with them. If that were all you saw, you might think they were just ordinary military forces.

But the moment you saw them advancing beneath a fluttering red flag, The Five-Stars Red Flag, you had no choice but to stare.

"What the hell is this?”

"Chinese troops. Ah, to be precise, volunteer forces made up of former People’s Liberation Army personnel.”

The frog lieutenant colonel said it matter-of-factly, then looked between me, Hamza, and Go Ryeoha and mimed zipping his lips shut.

"They may approach you and try to win you over. For the sake of maintaining the friendly cooperative relationship between Aphorism and the Korean-US Combined Command in Pyeongtaek, we’ve been asked to ignore them as much as possible. Let’s go. I’ll brief you on the situation at the command post.”

When the frog lieutenant colonel turned around, the officers who had accompanied him turned as well.

Go Ryeoha and Hamza let out brief sounds of surprise as they watched the foreign troops marching in formation a block away.

"Ooh. The Chinese military is here too?”

"Jemin-ssi, let’s hurry and follow them.”

"Yeah. Best not to even give them the wrong idea."

And so we followed the frog-faced lieutenant colonel. Even while looking at the hospital swallowed in fog, we couldn’t completely ignore the vigorous Chinese military song carrying over from nearby.

The world was changing far too quickly.

I could only hope I was progressive enough to accept that change.