Chapter 115

A Crisis Beyond Imagination

There are uncomfortable truths in this world.

One of them is probably the truth about age. The human body reaches its physical peak in the early twenties, and from that point onward it only declines. People pour tremendous effort into avoiding this tragic fact, but deep down they know it better than anyone.

One day, you find you can no longer eat fried food. Skip a little sleep and your stomach feels bloated. Climb a few flights of stairs and you're already out of breath, your reaction speed no longer what it used to be. The chances of suffering from all sorts of illnesses increase as well.

As an old man who has already passed the halfway mark to a hundred, I feel this deeply.

But today, after seeing the doctor flipping through my medical chart at my bedside, I changed my mind.

The doctor had swept his bangs back with a headband and was narrowing his eyes as he flipped through the pages of the chart. The bloodshot eyes from caring for countless patients and the patchy beard growing over old shaving marks left a strong impression.

"Mr. Baek Jemin. Your birthday is January 1st, right?"

"When they compared my ID card and resident registration records, they said I was born on June 17, 2000."

"Since I welcomed the new year of 2028 with a fresh mindset, January 1st has been my birthday from 2028 onward."

The moment he heard that, Shin Nain, sitting beside me, covered his eyes with one hand and let out a sigh.

The doctor chuckled as well before clearing his throat and getting to the point.

"Anyway. That localized invasive alteration behavior of yours. LISA's effects on the body are incredibly beneficial. Honestly, before you arrived, I thought we'd be looking at at least a month. The skin abrasions were severe, and there were signs of fall-related trauma. Cases like that usually require long-term observation. Especially because there were reports of lingering nerve damage in your left hand."

"Then..."

"But after watching you during rehabilitation, I think those concerns were excessive. You're what people call a mage, right? You're the first mage patient I've ever treated, but I can see why the military brass are losing their minds over you. Aside from some minor aftereffects, there are no major problems overall. Well... there is exactly one issue."

Tap.

The doctor tapped the medical chart with his left hand and raised an eyebrow.

"The vision loss in your right eye is significant. It's severe enough that you should be wearing glasses. According to you, it's temporary, but the examination results show 1.0 vision in your left eye and around 0.1 in your right. We'll need a more detailed prescription if we fit lenses, but... with a gap this large, your left eye will eventually start deteriorating too. More importantly, aren't you feeling dizzy?"

As expected of a doctor.

He immediately figured out why I'd remained obediently stuck in my hospital bed even after most of my body had recovered. Every time I turned my head quickly, I got so dizzy it felt like motion sickness.

A true top-tier Korean elite.

No wonder I kept misstepping whenever I walked. My depth perception had been completely ruined.

I nodded vigorously and asked how I could fix the problem.

"Doctor. Is there any solution?"

"You'll need an eye patch. Since you're confident it'll heal, wear it until it does."

Just as I expected.

Most of my other injuries had already recovered, but the price of [Cognitive Dissonance] was still healing slowly. I had assumed it was simply because the penalty came from magic, but apparently that really was the reason.

Most likely, I had dumped even the aftereffects from the 100% [Cognitive Distortion] I used while dealing with Sergeant Squeak-Squeak into [Cognitive Dissonance] as well.

I learned something else from this.

The price paid for magic does not heal quickly.

Even with Heart Stage 2's [Physical Enhancement] accelerating my recovery, the limitations were obvious.

The doctor watched my reaction, rummaged through his coat pocket, and handed me an eye patch sealed inside a plastic bag.

"Considering how quickly you heal and the fact that you still have scars on your hands, you must get cut by blades pretty often. You've had your tetanus shots, right? And when you come back, ask for antibiotics. Even if your immune system is strong, if you keep making wounds like this and increasing your risk of infection, it'll become a serious problem later."

"Yes, sir."

"...Sigh. Let's try not to meet too often, Mr. Baek Jemin."

With that, the doctor turned around and trudged out of the hospital room.

His nagging was on the same level as my mother's fury whenever she saw my mock-exam results. I knew any attempt at excuses would only extend the lecture, so there was value in playing the obedient yes-man.

I took the eye patch out of the plastic bag and covered my right eye.

It felt strange.

I'd never worn a sleep mask in broad daylight before. Maybe that was why it felt so peculiar. The sensation of a thin layer of fabric resting on my eyelid was...

Difficult to describe.

I was absentmindedly running my fingers over the eye patch when—

Creak.

The door opened, and Pastor Park Yo-han came in carrying another mountain of supplies.

As usual, the pastor glanced around the room before immediately asking the moment our eyes met.

"Baek Jemin, what's with you? Why are you wearing an eye patch?"

"The doctor said the vision in one eye dropped too much."

"Well, you used magic outside the fog. If that's all that happened, you held up pretty well. What about Nain?"

"They suspect a mild bacterial infection, so they're giving me oral antibiotics. They also said they'll provide probiotic supplements for intestinal health."

"The hospital is really taking good care of you. It's all the Lord's grace. Shin Nain, if it's difficult by yourself, do you want help getting to the restroom? Just ask if you need it."

"I can manage with crutches."

I felt slightly disappointed by the difference in how the pastor treated Shin Nain and me.

After all, I was the great archmage who had made tremendous contributions by defeating Yellow Bandage and Sergeant Squeak-Squeak, and by single-handedly taking down the soldiers of the 55th Division.

The praise directed toward Archmage Baek Jemin was clearly insufficient.

Of course, I understood that the Supreme Wizards expected great things from me, Baek Jemin the Man.

How could I not know they all assumed that Archmage Baek Jemin would naturally pull it off?

Still, I couldn't complain.

There was a strange power in the limitless trust and expectation that I'd continue doing my part even if I lost an eye. It set a man's passion ablaze.

It was then that the pastor handed a smartphone to Shin Nain.

There was nothing special about it—just an ordinary low-cost budget model.

"Here. Nain, take it. It's been approved."

"Pastor, knowing that their wicked sorcery causes smartphones to malfunction, how could you..."

"Shin Nain. What, are you planning not to use a smartphone even when we're in camps or barracks? We can't broadcast everything manually. Even if you only use it while staying in camp, take it."

"If that's what you mean..."

While Shin Nain fiddled with the phone and customized it, the pastor walked over to me.

For a moment I thought he was giving me a new phone too.

Instead, he handed me a smartphone with a screen so cracked it was obviously mine.

"Here. You take yours too, Baek Jemin."

"What is this?"

"What do you mean, what is it? It's the phone you left on the road."

"No. You should be giving me a new one."

"Hey. Soldiers stationed at city hall found your phone while searching the roads. And in times like these, do you think brand-new smartphones are growing on trees? There are even rumors they're dismantling old phones to reuse the semiconductors. Just use it!"

Smack.

I had been looking forward to replacing my phone for free.

Clicking my tongue in disappointment, I accepted it anyway. Once I had it in my hands, I decided to think positively. If I suddenly called people from a new phone and a new number, none of my existing contacts would answer.

Since I had my phone back, I checked the date first.

May 17, 2028 — 10:11 AM

Missed calls... none.

Well, with South Korea practically exploding, there probably weren't many people leisurely making phone calls.

Since I had the phone back, I decided to unblock a familiar number and make a call. At least one small advantage was that I no longer had to worry about international call charges.

Birdsong and the sound of a flowing stream played through the speaker for quite a while.

Then—

Click.

A familiar voice came through.

["Jemin? Is that really you?"]

"Mom."

["Listen first. How is it that you only ever call when you feel like it?"]

It seemed my mother, who had settled into a Korean refugee community in America, had quite a few grievances built up.

She talked for a long time, and I quietly listened.

One of the best ways to comfort my mother was simply to listen without interrupting. After occasionally chiming in with a few responses, my turn finally came.

"Mom. Your son is trying to do something meaningful here. Can't you cheer me on a little?"

["You...! How am I supposed to support you when you're still talking about becoming an archmage at your age?"]

"Mom, that's not nonsense. I'm someone all of South Korea is supporting, hoping for, and depending on now."

["...What are you talking about? What is it? Tell me. Is magic actually real? Everyone's been going crazy about it."]

At last, my mother had taken the bait.

Things like shamans, spirit readings, evil spirits, and sorcery were direct hits for people of her generation. Especially because most existing magic wasn't anything obvious like fireballs—it was mystical and mysterious, perfect for sparking her curiosity.

"Sigh... this is classified information. Mom, is there a proper pastor over there? Honestly, any religious person will do. Someone truly devout."

["Your father has been complaining about the new neighbor next door. Apparently the man talks about Jesus every single day and keeps inviting him to church whenever they meet."]

"Even if they stay there, it's not like they'll find many people they fit in with. Besides, I've heard that even back home, most people who go to church aren't necessarily true believers—they just need people to be with. During difficult times, having people to lean on is important. Going to church isn't a bad idea."

["My goodness. The kid who only ever went to church in the military because they handed out Choco Pies is saying this? Is this related to something?"]

"This is about all your son is allowed to tell you... and I'm only giving you this hint because you're my mother. Other people's sons don't know this much. Convince Dad and go to church. Talk to people there. Show off a little. Got it? Who would've predicted everything happening in Korea right now? Just start attending church. And if you can't believe, at least stay close to people who do."

[Don't tell us to go to church. If our only son would just stay in touch properly, all your mother and father's worries would disappear. Hmm? And why are you blocking our number?]

"A man's word outweighs a thousand pieces of gold. Until all eight billion people on Earth acknowledge me as an Archmage, I shall shed tears and turn away even from worldly attachments in pursuit of self-improvement!"

[Our son really is full of shit.]

Click.

That was enough of a greeting for my parents.

I'd even advised them to stay close to some genuinely devout person who had a high chance of awakening [Soteriological Assurance] in case something happened. That alone made me feel a little relieved.

I had just blocked my parents' number again and slipped my smartphone into my pocket when I noticed the Evangelical Duo staring at me with strange expressions.

"Baek Jemin. Even a human butcher like you is still human after all."

"You don't seem like the type, Mr. Jemin, but you're surprisingly filial when it comes to your parents."

The Evangelical Duo.

What exactly did they think I was?

"Oh, right. Baek Jemin, they recovered your rifle too, but the barrel and receiver are damaged and need maintenance. It'll take some time. For now, they said you should use one of the spare K2s."

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

Pastor.

Me.

Shin Nain.

The three of us looked back and forth at one another.

It was a misunderstanding born from not properly understanding each other.

Only Shin Nain, the Ear Mage, seemed to have grasped the horrifying truth lurking within this hospital room, because he started snickering.

"Mr. Jemin. Why pretend not to know when you clearly do?"

"Shut up."

Reality, however, was cold.

As expected of a headquarters that had apparently decided to let ten million Seoul citizens die, the military demanded a cruel sacrifice from me.

"It's a decision from the Survival Command Headquarters. Baek Jemin, you're swapping shifts with Hamza and defending Seongnam City Hall. The rest need to remain reserve forces. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

May 17, 2028 — 1:14 PM

Right after lunch, I climbed into a two-and-a-half-ton military truck and headed toward Seongnam City Hall.

Unable to hide my restless feelings, I kept looking around.

Quite a few soldiers rotating shifts with me were riding in the truck as well.

The southern part of Seongnam showed relatively few signs of battle.

Everything west of the river had been reduced to wasteland except for the roads, but most of the infrastructure east of the river, where the military hospital was located, remained intact.

The artillery positions I'd seen months ago near Bokjeong Station had apparently been relocated to avoid revealing their positions, leaving behind only shell marks.

Near the riverside, soldiers were hand-washing mountains of laundry.

I kept my eyes peeled, wondering whether monsters might emerge from the river like they did in the Han River, but everything seemed peaceful.

Just in case, I even activated Eye Magic Stage 1, [Future Sight: 10 Seconds Ahead], but nothing happened.

Apparently, even the monsters who slaughtered countless people hadn't thought of polluting the river with corpses.

Or perhaps the flowing current had carried everything away.

I had never spent much time in Seongnam, so I couldn't say for sure.

One notable sight was the soldiers sitting along the roadsides.

They wore strange VR-style goggles and fiddled with controllers. Judging by the frantic movement of their thumbsticks, they were drone operators.

The top contributors to maintaining the containment line.

Thanks to people like them, drones were still operating nonstop.

Several drones buzzed overhead as they flew past the truck I was riding in.

They were constantly sweeping every alleyway in the city with thermal imaging cameras, ready to immediately eliminate any unreported survivors they found.

After rattling along like a wilted bean sprout for quite some time, passing armored vehicles, tanks, self-propelled artillery, and towed guns over and over again, Seongnam City Hall finally came into view.

During the entire ride, the soldiers in the truck bed didn't exchange a single word.

These infantrymen, armed with gas masks, CBRN suits, shotguns, flamethrowers, and rifles, seemed barely able to breathe. They kept fiddling nervously with their chin straps.

I could feel them glancing at me—the only one not wearing a gas mask—but none of them seemed brave enough to remove theirs.

Only after we arrived at the city hall parking lot and began disembarking under the guidance of our escorts did the silence finally end.

Thunk.

As soon as I stepped down from the truck, I spotted a very familiar face.

"Hamza."

"Mr. Jemin."

Hamza.

A member of the Supreme Wizards.

With a massive backpack slung over his shoulders and his messy curly hair fully exposed, Hamza wore an oddly complicated expression.

It was difficult to describe.

"How are Lee Se-jun and Master doing?"

"Hmm. They haven't been fighting that much."

As expected of Hamza.

He instantly understood what I was worried about.

Climbing aboard the truck I had just exited, he flashed a wide grin and gave me a thumbs-up.

"Mr. Jemin. Good luck."

"Inshallah. Allah yisaeuduk."

Unable to hide my dubious expression, I headed into Seongnam City Hall.

The infantry squad rotating shifts with me had long since disappeared under the guidance of their escort.

As I casually walked alone among the soldiers as a Tier-One Civilian Operator, I could feel silent gazes raining down on me.

Normally, I'd have simply asked Shin Nain, the Ear Mage, and gotten the answer immediately.

But that wasn't an option now.

I rolled my tongue around inside my mouth.

My Ear Magic Stage 1 was too crude. To do what Shin Nain could do naturally, I had to combine it with Tongue Magic.

My tongue had only recently recovered from mouth ulcers and would probably split open again, but the results were worth it.

Ear Magic Stage 1 — [Mind Reading] 100%.

Listening to other people's thoughts!

At first, nothing changed.

My ears felt stuffed as though I had climbed a high mountain, and my sense of balance became strangely distant. I wasn't nauseous, yet I found myself stumbling anyway.

Then, at some point, every vibration in the world transformed into tiny whispers that were nearly impossible to understand.

Whisper whisper whisper...

The words were too distorted to comprehend.

The emotions too scattered to grasp.

Yet too irritating to ignore.

I had no idea how long this tuning process lasted.

After several seconds, the voices I wanted finally emerged.

'Total personnel count: twenty-one. That includes civilians, but fourteen are mages. And they say three people took them all down. Even with support, that's irreplaceable. They kill monsters even better. Does that mean the enemy was really that dangerous...?'

'That guy with the eye patch is supposedly our strongest mage. Is it true he gouges out eyes and rips out hearts? Looks like he actually hurt his eye. Shit. What if he notices me and drags me away? Better keep my distance.'

'Please keep winning. I want to stop pulling four separate two-hour guard shifts every day.'

Mm-hmm.

The reverence people held toward Archmage Baek Jemin was truly touching.

Still, it was a little disappointing that the full details of my heroic exploits hadn't spread yet.

Though if headquarters had decided not to reveal too much while combat operations were still ongoing, I could understand that.

With a satisfied smile, I canceled the spell and continued walking, unable to hide the pride in my posture.

That was when—

"Ms. Ryeoha, stay bright and hopeful! If there are survivors left, they'll want us to greet them with smiles!"

"Mr. Se-jun... you're right! That's exactly why I always tried to smile!"

"I believe not everyone in Seoul has been consumed by hatred. If someone can be saved, then we should save them!"

"That's exactly what I think too!!!"

A bad feeling crept over me.

I subtly lowered my posture and quickly put on the gas mask I was carrying.

Making sure not to expose myself immediately, I slipped behind cover and cautiously closed the distance.

Soon I spotted Lee Se-jun and Goryeoha enthusiastically sparring in a small open area.

Bang!

The sound of air splitting echoed around them.

Watching the two exchange clumsy punches while naturally matching each other's rhythm filled me with dread.

"Ms. Ryeoha, let's go together!"

"Hahaha, yes! We should support each other's dreams!"

If you could watch Goryeoha and Lee Se-jun laughing together and not feel a sense of wrongness—if you couldn't recognize the looming danger—you might as well remove your brain and continue living without it.

At that moment, I felt as though every blood vessel in my head had gone dry from sheer panic.

"We are!"

"Siblings!"

My astonishing intuition instantly realized what that damn "Siblings" thing was building toward.

That bastard Hamza.

My hands and feet started trembling.

"Eh? Mr. Jemin!"

"Mr. Jemin?"

The moment they turned around, I cursed internally with every swear word I knew.

Lee Se-jun, you son of a—

Was this all setup for a Sisters version?!