Chapter 104

Original Magic Exploration Journal

After finishing the briefing in the conference room, we were given some free time.

Of course, there were people who complained about that, arguing that with the Seongnam containment line on the verge of breaking, we should be acting with a greater sense of urgency. Among the Best of the Best Mages, it was Turbaned Canary Hamza—the coward who specialized in assessing danger levels—who voiced that opinion.

He approached me while I was leaning against the railing of the Suwon City Hall staircase, absentmindedly staring down at the floor below, and began peppering me with questions.

"Jemin. Is it really okay to just let everyone scatter like this?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"I mean... people are dying."

For someone as timid as he was, Hamza seemed to be the type who still felt responsible when people were dying.

Our Pakistani medical student turned migrant worker wasn't the sort of person who would throw away his life to save others, but it reminded me that he was an ordinary citizen who genuinely cared about human lives.

I tapped the staircase railing with my index finger and let out a dry laugh.

"Why do you think soldiers exist? They're dragged in to be bullet catchers. That's why they gather up kids in the prime of their youth and tell them to pick up a rifle whether it ruins their lives or not."

"That's a genuinely trashy thing to say."

"We're civilians, Hamza. No reason to worry about the military."

Heroism was admirable.

I just didn't want it for myself.

I felt sorry for the soldiers whose lives had been derailed by being dragged to the containment lines, but there was no reason for me to take on additional risks just to save even one of them.

If I were the kind of person who rushed to save people simply because it was tragic that they were dying, I would've opened a UNICEF donation account long ago and started sponsoring starving children in Africa.

And I couldn't even hide behind the cowardly excuses people used—claims that donations never reached the children, or that it was all just a business—while never opening their wallets in the first place.

I was a selfish and petty man.

I could pity others, but I would never act solely for their sake.

I only extended a helping hand when doing so aligned with my own interests and goals.

The reason I accepted fighting monsters and scouting inside Seoul was because it made acquiring magic easier. Saving lives was, at best, a third-priority side objective.

While I was calming Hamza down, Pastor Park Yohan strode over.

"Jemin, what kind of nonsense are you spouting this time?"

"I was just explaining to Hamza that we're civilians and don't need to worry about the military."

"If you've got time to run your mouth, you remember that place we used to gather when we were in Suwon? The room we used as a makeshift chapel. Come over there. If our Muslim friend is interested, he can come too."

I responded with the one thing you absolutely shouldn't say to someone higher than you in the pecking order.

"Why?"

"It's about magic, you punk."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why,' you little..."

"Mr. Jemin..."

Hamza clicked his tongue in disbelief while the pastor immediately frowned.

Then, as if admitting defeat first, the pastor shook his head and kindly explained why he wanted me there.

"Mr. Anderson wants to see us."

"He's allowed into the country? At a time like this?"

With Seongnam on the verge of falling, there were limits no matter how rich someone was.

If he somehow ended up targeted by Gangnam Clairvoyant and got executed, it would be a disaster.

If the Combined U.S.-ROK Command had any sense left, they wouldn't permit Anderson's entry during this chaos.

The pastor instantly grasped the implication and shrugged.

"Baek Jemin. What era do you think we live in? Who said people have to meet face-to-face?"

"If it's not something important, I'm not going."

***

The soundproof room that Pastor Park and Shin Nain had once used as a makeshift chapel.

The Best of the Best Mages, each of whom had been relieving stress in their own way after the briefing, had gathered there.

Though it wasn't only them.

Several American soldiers in uniform and civilian technicians carried equipment back and forth before placing a thick, expensive-looking laptop on the table.

The moment we saw the person on the monitor, the reactions among the Best of the Best split sharply.

[Greetings, Best of Best. Your exploits are causing quite a stir all the way across the ocean in the continental United States.]

Anderson Makenford.

The wealthy American gentleman who possessed an extraordinary interest in mysticism and the existence of magic—especially Alteration-Type Magic Systems—greeted us in fluent Korean through a webcam mounted above the laptop screen.

Everyone gasped at how much his Korean pronunciation had improved since our first meeting.

"Ah..."

"Hmm."

The first to look away were Shin Nain and Lee Sejun, both of whom had virtually no interest in mysticism.

Pastor Park immediately grew restless, scolding them before turning back to the monitor with a warm smile.

"Now, now. Mr. Anderson has taken precious time out of his schedule for us. Mr. Anderson, forgive us. The kids have been roaming dangerous places lately, so they're a little on edge."

[No, it is I who should be grateful for the time you've given me. Has my support been proving useful?]

"Of course! Hahaha!"

Hamza merely blinked and tried to fade into the background.

Meanwhile, I glanced at Goryeoha, who still had his head buried down.

Apparently the pastor had dragged him here somehow, but he looked utterly uninterested in participating.

At least he hadn't exploded after taking the red pill.

Still, he felt like a bomb making ominous beeping noises, so I quietly looked away.

I wasn't the only emotional trash can around here.

It was time to focus on the important matters.

"Mr. Anderson. I heard you'd like to claim rights to the magical script possessed by the Skin Parasite Worm I killed."

The corpse of the Skin Parasite Worm that had once occupied the military hospital in Anyang had been transferred to the Combined Command in Pyeongtaek.

Most records had long since been destroyed, but the military had once attempted to separate people who had been fused with amalgams.

The result had been a biological disaster.

Because of that, all research experiments had been abandoned.

However, the appearance of the unprecedented monster known as the Skin Parasite Worm had forced a change in policy.

Now the goal was to strictly control physical contamination while learning anything possible about the ecological origins and characteristics of these creatures.

Naturally, the biggest factor was that this was the first officially acquired monster known to contain magical script.

It was only a matter of time before wealthy individuals learned that magic could be acquired from the magical scripts left behind by slain monsters.

Just look at Anderson Makenford.

He already knew.

As our sponsor, he couldn't really be criticized for wanting a share of the fruits.

But Anderson knew far more than we expected.

And he was unlike an ordinary sponsor.

[Don't worry, Mr. Baek. I claimed rights to that monster's corpse only to prevent others from leaking it recklessly.]

"Mr. Anderson, weren't you interested in learning magic yourself?"

Even the pastor sounded surprised.

Anderson folded his hands, offered a brief prayer, then smiled faintly.

[I won't deny that my personal interests are directed toward Heart Magic. Nor will I claim that Eye Magic holds no appeal. However, there is a maxim that all mystics, East and West alike, should engrave deeply into their hearts: Never use power you cannot control.]

He released his clasped hands and sat properly.

[Considering everything I already possess, would I truly lose my composure before a mystery that has only just revealed itself and throw everything away? Besides, we've recently confirmed that some of the knowledge held by our circle is actually valid. I've been happily spending my time organizing and sorting through our genuine knowledge. Spiritual protection through pentagrams has become quite popular lately. Especially since people have learned, little by little, that it is somehow connected to all of you. Many are rather envious.]

"Then... why..."

The pastor asked uncertainly.

It was a question all of us shared.

Surely he hadn't gathered us here just for idle conversation.

And as expected, he hadn't.

***

After engaging us in a lengthy stretch of upper-class small talk, Anderson Makenford finally reached the point.

[After obtaining the Command's compiled research on magic, one particular form caught my eye. The Tongue. A magic system focused on degrading an original magical phenomenon into something humans can actually wield. It also appears connected to the Qliphothic Reversal. Strong indications suggest a relationship with Kabbalah. However, there are also elements that cannot be fully explained through traditional mysticism.]

Lee Sejun and Shin Nain looked ready to die from boredom.

But the pastor and I, both relatively interested in mysticism, listened more carefully.

Because Anderson was not the sort of man who spoke carelessly, no matter how strong his intellectual vanity was.

Of course, it was also proof that Command information was flowing straight into the hands of Western elites.

Still, if the benefactor funding us was making our lives easier, we could be generous about it.

Corruption was warm and friendly when it benefited us.

Sure enough.

Anderson pointed out things we had completely overlooked despite actively using the magic ourselves.

[When examining the manifestation methods of the Sephirotic and Qliphothic forms of Tongue Magic, one thing becomes apparent. The act of eating. Furthermore, it is a magic that directly handles human emotions and desires. And when you testified before Command, you stated that Tongue Magic was the signature manifestation of the Qliphothic form.]

"Mr. Anderson. We don't call them Sephirotic and Qliphothic. We call them Normal Form and Reversal Form."

[Ah! Yes, my mistake. I'll use field terminology. Then... according to the records, you testified that Reversal-Form Tongue Magic was the signature, symbolic manifestation of the Reversal side.]

Apparently the transcripts of my conversations with American generals had been passed directly to him.

A righteous and fair person might have been furious.

But as a beneficiary of corruption, I couldn't complain too loudly about the privileges afforded to the elite.

Besides, Anderson was processing that information and feeding it back to us.

And this time, it was crucial.

[It is a magic that becomes the most alien when reversed. Given the striking duality and its role as the signature separating Normal and Reversal Forms, Tongue Magic appears to embody both enlightenment and spiritual wisdom, while simultaneously representing enslavement to material desire and sensual pleasure. In mysticism, there is only one celestial body associated with such a prominent duality.]

Anderson's eyes sparkled as he continued.

[I believe Tongue Magic corresponds to Venus. The pentagram itself originates from the apparent motion of Venus, and entire goddesses were once associated with the planet. Thus, it is understandable that a magic aligned with Venus would hold such significance. That said, this magical system does not perfectly align with traditional astrology, so caution is still necessary when interpreting it.]

"Venus..."

I couldn't dismiss the idea outright.

After all, I had achieved Stage Two of Hand Magic by conducting a ritual on the date Anderson had predicted, with the assistance of Monk Cheonghwi.

I had already accepted that celestial bodies and the various branches of Alteration-Type Magic corresponded to one another.

But at the same time, something bothered me.

The ritual timing had been too accurate to be a lucky guess.

Was Anderson somehow connected to the Sixty-Six Society?

Or had his circle inherited knowledge originating from them?

Naturally, I wasn't stupid enough to voice those suspicions.

No matter how dense someone was, charging in headfirst like that made them an animal.

I was human.

So I asked the truly important question.

If this knowledge came from the Society, that only made it more trustworthy.

"Then does that mean Tongue Magic can also advance through rituals?"

[It can... however, Venus's appointed time has already passed. If my estimates are correct, it would have been April 21st, when Taurus returned.]

No.

That was impossible.

Had I really missed it?

Just because I didn't know?

I'd missed the chance to advance Tongue Magic to Stage Three?

The moment I heard that, all the strength drained from my body.

***

After that, the pastor was the only one carrying the conversation.

Lee Sejun, who was never shy about showing how thickheaded he was, crossed his arms and fell asleep.

Shin Nain dismissed everything as heretical knowledge and let it pass in one ear and out the other.

Hamza spent his time nervously watching everyone's reactions.

Goryeoha kept his face buried and did absolutely nothing.

And I, Baek Jemin, sat there resenting the world for missing the ritual.

With a lineup like that, even the pastor's one-man show had its limits.

Eventually, the video conference between the Best of the Best and Anderson ended in complete disaster.

By the end, even the pastor looked exhausted.

"Kids. Even if you're part of the MZ generation, isn't this a little too rude? The man helps us, and that's the attitude you show him?"

[Not at all, Rev. Park. Those monsters are terrifying. So terrifying that I have no desire to face them myself. It is because people like you and Mr. Baek exist—because all of you are there—that I remain safe. Best of Best. I once again promise my full support and backing to those who live up to that name. May our friendship continue.]

"Ah... We are deeply grateful for Mr. Anderson's generosity. Salute! Goodbye!"

[Haha... Goodbye! Good luck.]

The pastor flashed a bright smile and even saluted.

Anderson returned the gesture before ending the call.

But my sense of loss didn't recover so easily.

Tongue Magic Stage Three...

April 21st...

Those words kept circling in my head.

As the shattered mood lingered, the pastor approached and patted my shoulder with a sigh.

"Baek Jemin. It's not like there'll never be another day."

"That level of magic attainment, huh? It's nothing compared to the Lord's word."

"Shut up."

And you're pulling that hardcore-Christian routine right now?

If I were a real bastard, I would've already punched him in the mouth.

At that moment, someone I never expected spoke up.

"Mr. Jemin. The very act of trying to gain power by relying on such wicked heretical knowledge is fundamentally wrong."

Shin Nain.

The guy who had been sitting around whining with his headset on suddenly removed it and said something completely out of left field.

"For God's sake. Stop acting crazy on both sides. Just let me be sad by myself."

"Baek Jemin, you idiot. How can people who go to church just leave someone alone when they're suffering?"

"Amen."

I realized being Satan had to be one of the most miserable jobs imaginable.

Anyone forced to listen to Pastor Park and Shin Nain spout nonsense in perfect harmony from both sides would probably lose their mind.

The Best of the Best Mages might have disbanded that day if Shin Nain hadn't continued.

"Instead, I believe it's time to examine the Sacred Formulae we already possess."

"Hm?"

"I heard that when you first obtained a Tongue-type Sacred Formula, you applied it to Eye Magic. In practice, Mr. Jemin, you've displayed far more varied applications of Tongue Magic than the rest of us."

Little by little.

Little by little, my mood began to clear.

Looking down at me, Shin Nain showed a smile that somehow mixed pity, contempt, and acknowledgment.

"Exploring the inherent power possessed by each branch's Sacred Formula doesn't require relying on outside sources, does it?"

***

The Best of the Best Mages immediately headed toward a supply storage area that wasn't currently in use.

The gathering place was a cramped, stuffy clearing filled with stacks of abandoned boxes.

Present were me, Shin Nain, Lee Sejun, and Hamza.

The purpose was simple.

To determine the true performance of our magic at one hundred percent.

Lee Sejun glanced around before glaring at Shin Nain and me.

"Is it okay not to bring Goryeoha? He usually wanders around everywhere."

"The pastor's acting as his emotional garbage collector. He'll probably calm him down."

"Facing one's sins is a burden only the individual can bear."

I felt bad for what Goryeoha had gone through, but if it didn't help my life, it wasn't my problem.

Shin Nain seemed to have taken his usual young-boomer stance of figure it out yourself.

Faced with the ironclad convictions of Team Vaccine, even Lee Sejun's ugly inferiority complex finally lost some steam.

"You people are great. Everyone's equally awful."

Meanwhile, Hamza opened the medical kit he had lugged over and issued a stern warning.

"Mr. Sejun is a Heart Mage, so he'll probably be fine. But Mr. Jemin, don't push yourself trying to uncover every detail of your magic's performance. Stop before things get too dangerous."

"I'm a Heart Mage too, though."

"Exactly. I'm worried you'll keep pushing because you're confident you're a Heart Mage."

Like someone who had once dreamed of becoming a doctor, Hamza displayed remarkably clear judgment.

And thus began the Best of the Best Mages' exploration of original magic.

No matter how aggressively Anderson Makenford and the wealthy elite gathered information and artifacts, they couldn't possibly obtain all the knowledge we acquired firsthand in the field.

Especially not knowledge concerning what magic was originally capable of and where its limits truly lay.

Particularly because we had no intention of cooperating properly.

We were absolutely going to make them work for it.

"Medical supplies are ready."

"Mr. Jemin. Mr. Sejun. I'll be observing, so there's no need to explain things aloud. Focus on remembering the sensations. Let's begin."

With Hamza and Shin Nain watching, the experiment finally started.

We excluded Eye Magic Stage One, [Expanded Perception], and Eye Magic Stage Two, [Perceptual Distortion], since their original capabilities were already known.

This was where Sejun and I, the Tongue Mages, would shine.

Especially me, considering I possessed multiple branches and multiple stages.

Soldiers might be dying in northern Seongnam.

But to us, magic was more precious.

Sss... Hoo...

First, I tested Tongue Magic Stage Two.

[Desire Explosion]

The target was Lee Sejun.

I thought about how Tongue Magic Stage One, [Degradation], could potentially strengthen Stage Two, [Desire Explosion], but decided to simply test it first.

I stuck out my tongue.

No narrowing the effect through Stage One's camera-aperture-like focusing ability.

A pure, one hundred percent original Tongue Stage Two.

The moment I imagined how terrifying its power might be—

Pain arrived.

Thunk.

Without warning.

A factory suddenly appeared in my mind.

Workers operated giant presses with dead expressions while objects moved helplessly along conveyor belts.

If I were one of those objects being transported on the belt, how would I feel about the enormous press smashing down again and again?

And what if the object moving toward that press was not something else—

But my tongue?

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

A chill crawled up my spine.

And then—

An overwhelming crushing pressure, incomparable even to a pork-cutlet tenderizing hammer, descended upon my tongue.

An impact sound that didn't actually exist echoed only inside my mind.

KWAAAAAANG!!!

"...Jemin! Mr. Jemin!"

Faint.

Was that my imagination?

"MR. Jemin!!!"

"AAAGH! GGRRRRK—!"

I gasped for air.

My mouth was full of dried foam.

The smell of blood was thick.

As a side effect of using Tongue Stage One, [Degradation], my tongue had split open and blood was pouring out.

Fortunately, it hadn't literally been severed or crushed flat.

The crushing pain had apparently ended as phantom pain.

The problem was that phantom pain still hurt.

A lot.

I seemed to be the kind of person whose mind became clearer the more pain he suffered.

But mental clarity didn't mean my body was fine.

"Aaahhh... sob... aaahhh..."

Baek Jemin.

I just cried.

I had no idea who was calling my name.

I flailed helplessly and bawled.

This was more miserable than when I'd stolen six hundred thousand won of academy tuition money, spent it all at a PC café, and gotten beaten by my parents with a spatula and a switch.

I simply cried.

Loudly.

Pathetically.

Because it hurt so much.

Only much later did I realize I'd wet my pants.

Something I should've been embarrassed about.

But holy shit, it hurt so much that I didn't even have room for shame.

"Waaahhh... sob... damn it..."

After crying my heart out for a long time, my senses finally began returning.

Only then did I feel as though the bones in my chest had been broken.

And only then did I realize Hamza was the one comforting me.

"Mr. Jemin. We had to perform CPR. Your ribs broke."

They'd actually broken.

Goddammit.

But once the misery subsided, an important question surfaced in my mind.

"Wh... wha... happened?"

"Everyone is horrified after personally witnessing the original performance of Tongue Stage Two, [Desire Explosion]. You survived because you're a Heart Mage."

Without Shin Nain's absurdly useful Ear Magic, I probably wouldn't have been able to communicate at all.

Blood dripped from my blood-soaked tongue as I wheezed.

Shin Nain's face carried both shock and a depth of sympathy I'd never seen him show Lee Sejun.

"Mr. Jemin."

"Uuuuugh..."

"Imagine being starving, drooling, half-consumed by drowsiness... and then still getting an erection. How do you think that would feel?"

"...What?"

"I barely managed to stop myself from wetting myself by replacing the urge to urinate."

If Sejun hadn't quickly used Heart Stage Three, [Desire Substitution], to replace his urge to relieve himself, the scene would've been even more catastrophic.

At that moment, I vowed never to use the original version of Tongue Stage Two again.

Ever.

***

Next came something else.

"Ehh..."

"Mr. Jemin, you're casting another spell? Again?"

Hamza looked horrified.

But I simply raised a finger.

There was one perfect spell for a situation like this.

Eye Magic Stage Three.

[Cognitive Dissonance]

I had rarely used it because I wasn't injured often.

But now that my ribs were shattered and medicine had already been administered, it was the perfect opportunity to test its performance.

Part of me feared the agony that would descend upon my ruined tongue.

Part of me anticipated it.

I cast the spell.

Eye Stage Three — [Cognitive Dissonance] 100%.

Now then.

What changed?

My heart pounded with anticipation as I looked around.

But everything remained the same.

People moving boxes in the distance.

Shin Nain staring blankly at me.

Hamza rummaging through the first-aid kit just in case.

Lee Sejun already gone, probably carried away on a stretcher.

The dreary clearing.

Nothing had changed.

Even the pain in my tongue failed to return.

What?

Had the spell failed?

"Hey, Hamza. Help me out here."

"Mr. Jemin?"

"The spell didn't activate. What's going on? I used Cognitive Dissonance."

There was so little difference that even I was surprised.

No—

Until now, Eye Magic had always produced astonishing results.

Stage One showed me the past, present, future, and who knew what else.

Stage Two practically stopped time.

Was Stage Three really this disappointing?

Had all the power been front-loaded into the earlier stages?

As I continued making rational deductions, Shin Nain stared at me with an odd expression.

"Mr. Jemin."

"Oh? Figure something out?"

"Your pronunciation is completely normal right now. You're breathing properly too. You aren't complaining about pain."

"Well, obviously—"

Then I realized.

Cognitive Dissonance.

The tongue soaked in blood.

The shattered ribs.

The pain.

All gone.

Everything had recovered.

Moments ago, even breathing had felt oppressive.

Now all of it had vanished.

Just as I'd hoped.

The injuries and pain seemed completely gone.

And yet...

There didn't appear to be any price.

What?

This wasn't like any magic I'd ever known.

Magic always demanded a price.

So why was this one suddenly giving things away for free?

If it really was free...

Wasn't this insanely overpowered?

It was at that exact moment that Shin Nain and Hamza started waving their hands in front of my face.

"Mr. Jemin. I don't think you should use the original version of Cognitive Dissonance."

"What? Why? This spell's amazing. No cost, no pain."

Hamza pointed toward my side with a troubled expression.

Only then did I realize Shin Nain had been kicking me in the ribs.

"Mr. Jemin... We've been touching you and messing with you this entire time. You haven't noticed any of it."

The price of one-hundred-percent [Cognitive Dissonance].

The moment I guessed what it was, my breath caught.

Something directly connected to perception.

Sensory deprivation.

That was the true penalty behind Cognitive Dissonance.

"No!"

I scrambled to my feet.

But I couldn't stop my vision from swaying.

Touch.

The sensations that should have reached me through my skin simply weren't there.

Shin Nain and Hamza caught me before I fell.

"It wasn't permanently blinding you last time either. Let's observe it for a while."

"Mr. Jemin, honestly, it's still better than what happened to Mr. Sejun."

"And that's supposed to comfort me?!"

No.

Maybe he was right.

Compared to Sejun collapsing from hunger, exhaustion, and overwhelming urges, perhaps I had gotten off lightly.

As awful as it was, I couldn't deny finding some comfort in that fact.

But it wasn't entirely awful.

As Shin Nain and Hamza supported me toward the medical room, I found myself quietly exhilarated despite the side effects ravaging my body.

Exploring the true capabilities of original magic.

While soldiers died and the Seoul Mages of the Gangnam Group conducted their investigations, we endured suffering to uncover the secrets of the magic we ourselves had obtained.

Magic. One hundred percent.