Chapter 17
The Most Important Part Is Missing
In this kind of disaster, no matter how important a person might be, getting a hospital room all to yourself was impossible.
People with every kind of injury gradually filled the room, groaning in pain, until the ward I was staying in had far more occupants than it was originally designed for.
It looked like it had started as a four-person room.
Now it felt more like an eight-person room.
Most of them were soldiers in combat uniforms.
Even though they wore military uniforms, I was still a civilian. Being mixed into the same room as soldiers felt oddly uncomfortable.
Most of them were in worse shape than I was.
Their arms and legs were wrapped in thick bandages, and many spent the nights groaning through fevers.
The first soldier to regain full consciousness became my charger-sharing buddy.
His name was Lee Daemin.
His right leg had been amputated.
I didn't bother asking what had happened.
Lee Daemin never asked for my name, either.
Instead, we passed the time watching the world unravel through our phones.
Beyond my cracked screen, people marched through the streets carrying protest signs while martial-law troops stood opposite them behind shields and armored vehicles.
As cameras zoomed in and out frantically, a field reporter swallowed nervously and spoke.
[As anti-government demonstrations intensify nationwide, public opinion and support continue to deteriorate amid signs that martial law may expand across the country under directives from the President and government, who recently relocated to Incheon. Calls for regime change are growing louder in Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan, and numerous smaller cities throughout the metropolitan regions...]
"Bullshit."
That wasn't me.
As a responsible citizen, I could understand why people were reacting that way.
The one who muttered the curse was Lee Daemin.
His burned left cheek twisted as he rapidly tapped at his phone.
Since it was a livestream, countless comments were flooding the screen.
Curious, I glanced over.
[The incompetent regime that got ten million Seoul citizens killed needs to step down!!!]
[Looks like China finally launched biological warfare. Don't be fooled, everyone. When China says they're here to help, that's exactly when we need to be on guard.]
[If the military isn't protecting people and is just going to shoot everyone, why are we paying taxes?!]
[What a joke. If those things poured out, would you be the one holding a rifle and stopping them?]
Tap.
Without hesitation, I closed the comment section.
The toxicity of the Korean internet had found a glorious new stage in this crisis.
As I once again trembled before the five-thousand-year history of a people who had honed their rhetoric solely to grind one another's mental health into dust, I quietly moved on to other articles.
[Countdown to Power Shutdown? Leaked military documents reveal discussions of cutting electricity transmission into Seoul to prevent attempts to breach containment lines...]
[What Exactly Were the Monsters That Attacked Suwon Station? Why Are the Military and Government Still Silent?]
[The Screams of Hell from the Containment Line — "The Military No Longer Tries to Protect the People"]
Every news section was a complete disaster.
Faced with an unprecedented crisis, the entire country had descended into confusion.
Nobody seemed to possess either the knowledge or authority necessary to solve it.
Ordinary citizens—people like me—were divided as well.
Countless opinions clashed against one another.
Then a freshly uploaded article caught my eye.
[First Public Release) Footage of the Suwon Station Monsters Obtained — Citizens Decide for Themselves]
I checked the timestamp.
January 18th, 1:01 PM.
The article was simple.
Despite military and government embargoes, someone had obtained leaked footage filmed near Suwon Station by a civilian.
I played it.
It didn't look AI-generated.
Raging fog.
Muzzle flashes.
Gunfire.
The deep brass-instrument-like roars unique to the Amalgams.
Human screams mixed into the chaos.
The camera shook violently, as if filmed on a smartphone by someone whose hands were trembling uncontrollably.
Then an Amalgam emerged from the fog and charged.
Only then did the cameraman seem to panic.
Unable even to scream, they spun around and ran.
The camera shook like mad.
Naturally, the military spotted them and opened fire.
Rat-tat-tat...
The cameraman collapsed instantly.
Soon a pool of blood spread around the fallen smartphone.
The video ended.
Comments exploded immediately.
The article's view count skyrocketed.
[What the fuck is THAT?]
[Military operation underway and this idiot decided to film nearby. Deserved.]
[The military just shot a civilian dead and THAT'S your reaction?]
[Don't let even one of those things get through... Kill them all!!!]
If I had been sitting safely somewhere far behind the lines, I might have felt terror and adrenaline watching that footage.
Maybe I'd have experienced that sick thrill of seeing a zombie movie become reality.
Maybe I'd even have felt a strange sense of liberation watching the world collapse.
But the current me had achieved tremendous personal growth and maturity.
The old me would've jumped into the comments section screaming,
"Who cares about ten million? Kill all fifty million if that's what it takes to stop them~"
But the mature new me merely smirked and locked my phone.
My dopamine receptors had finally recovered.
This was why people shouldn't get addicted to increasingly unpleasant stimulation.
Feeling my mind becoming healthier, I finally understood what true freedom was.
It was around then that the talkative doctor entered.
"Mr. Baek Jemin. The command post at Suwon City Hall is requesting you."
"Me?"
"Oh, don't even start. Considering your injuries, you shouldn't be discharged until early February. They aren't discharging you, but apparently it's urgent enough that they want you brought in immediately. You're tough enough that painkillers should get you as far as City Hall. Just don't use your left hand."
I wasn't sure what kind of logic led someone to wrap my arm up like a club and then tell me not to use it.
Still.
This was my first trip outside in eight days.
Lying in a hospital bed was tolerable for a day or two, but I was going stir-crazy.
It would also give me a chance to see what had happened to everyone else.
As I got ready to leave, Lee Daemin looked at me for the first time and asked,
"Hey. How'd you mess up your left hand?"
Apparently losing the only other fully conscious person in the room was making him sentimental.
I glanced at his missing right leg.
Then I grinned and carefully tapped the bandages wrapped around my left hand.
"I shot it myself."
Tap. Tap.
"And then I seared it with a red-hot machine-gun barrel."
The talkative doctor immediately looked horrified and nearly smacked me across the back before stopping himself.
"Mr. Baek Jemin, that's not something to brag about. Just get going already. Mr. Lee Daemin, time to change your bandages."
With that, I followed a cold-faced nurse down to the lobby.
The place was overflowing with groaning patients, visitors waiting for permission to enter, and injured survivors.
At that point, seeing a familiar face felt like a miracle.
Lieutenant Shin Hangi and the quick-witted driver were chatting while killing time.
As I approached, Lieutenant Shin Hangi noticed me and removed his helmet, tucking it under his arm.
"Operator Baek Jemin. You're looking well."
"You're not serious, right?"
"Just saying it out of habit. Everyone's spirits have been pretty low lately."
After offering a bitter smile, he and the driver escorted me toward another requisitioned van.
"Driver, no need to rush. The operator's injuries haven't healed yet. He'll understand."
"Yes, sir!"
"I'd like to say don't worry... but we're not really in a position for that, are we? Let's take it slow."
"Yes, sir!"
***
"Is this really how you're slacking off?"
"Operator, considering the tension and responsibility this situation puts on us, we need moments like this to stay sane. I'm still just a lieutenant, you know!"
With that, we all climbed into the requisitioned van and slumped into our seats.
Well—
Everyone except the driver.
The driver kept checking the mirrors nonstop, glancing at the rearview and side mirrors every few seconds.
Probably because of the Amalgams.
Even though there wasn't the slightest trace of fog and the day was perfectly clear.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Shin Hangi, seated in the passenger seat, placed his helmet on his lap and let out a deep sigh.
When we arrived at Suwon City Hall in the requisitioned van, the atmosphere felt... strange.
Before, it had felt like a place preparing for battle.
Now?
It felt more like a place that had finished preparing to shoot anyone who became a problem.
"What's the difference?" you might ask.
The earlier atmosphere still carried a kind of romantic optimism—a belief that things might somehow still be okay.
Now?
People's eyes gleamed with razor-sharp hostility.
It felt like if someone gave them the slightest trouble, they'd shove a rifle butt into their face—or point the muzzle directly at them.
Lieutenant Shin Hangi had to show both his identification card and state his rank and name before we were allowed through the heavy security.
The quick-witted driver and I followed him inside.
From that point onward, the way people treated me changed slightly.
"That's Operator Baek Jemin. Make sure everyone treats him properly."
The moment Shin Hangi said that, the sharp gazes shifted in a strangely subtle way.
People deliberately looked elsewhere.
And yet their curiosity won out.
They kept sneaking glances at me.
Despite being nothing more than a civilian wrapped in bandages, wearing no helmet and no combat gear, the soldiers' reactions felt completely different from what I remembered eight days ago.
Following behind Lieutenant Shin Hangi, I lowered my voice and asked,
"What's with everyone here?"
"After the recent fog expansion incident, there was a reevaluation of localized infiltration-type alteration phenomena and civilian operators. That's one of the reasons you've been called here today."
As we walked through Suwon City Hall, a familiar conference room came into view.
Armed soldiers guarded the entrance.
The moment they saw Lieutenant Shin Hangi, they silently saluted and stepped aside.
Inside sat many familiar faces.
Field-grade officers in full gear.
The nameless colonel at the head of the room.
And scattered throughout the conference room were the magicians.
Among them was Hamza, the turban-wearing honorary Korean who had fled at the earliest opportunity.
Looking around, I realized there had been more survivors than I'd expected.
"Oh? You made it, Mr. Baek Jemin."
Pastor Park Yohan adjusted his glasses and glanced over.
"You were never the type to die easily."
"It seems your worldly attachments run quite deep, benefactor."
Monk Cheonghwi smiled calmly with his palms together.
Hamza.
Shin Nain.
Sergeant Lee Sejun.
All of them blinked when they saw me and waved.
None of us had been particularly close.
Apparently surviving a horrible situation together generated instant emotional intimacy.
I sat down.
At the front of the room, Shin Hangi saluted the colonel.
"Sir. Operator Baek Jemin has arrived."
"Good work."
"Sir."
Shin Hangi then took a seat among the officers.
Only then did the nameless colonel turn toward us.
His eyes were bloodshot and exhausted.
He rubbed the dark stubble that had grown across his jaw before letting out a long sigh.
After composing himself, he finally spoke.
"First, I'd like to explain that Mr. Hamza did not abandon the operation."
The colonel tapped the blank white projector screen.
"Mr. Hamza ran alone to the vicinity of Seryu Station and linked up with thirty-one field personnel stationed there. During the collision incident on the Line 1 underground platform at Suwon Station, he played a significant role in rescuing Sergeant Lee Sejun and Mr. Shin Nain, who had escaped onto the opposite tracks, and in holding back the pursuing Amalgams."
The colonel glanced toward Hamza.
"Following Mr. Hamza's own suggestion, we've decided to designate his magic as 'Angel's Intuition.'"
"Angel's Intuition?"
Pastor Park frowned.
Hamza immediately protested.
"The Qur'an. The words of Muhammad guided by the angel Jibril. Jibril inspired and guided me."
"Hey, you Muslim bastard. Why are you calling Gabriel 'Jibril'?"
"Pastor, please."
The colonel pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Regardless, Mr. Hamza identifies as a Sunni Muslim. If similar magic manifests among other Sunni believers, we'll classify it as a doctrinal magic and designate it Angel's Intuition. Save the religious arguments for later. Thanks to him, Mr. Shin Nain and Sergeant Lee Sejun survived."
Pastor Park glanced at Shin Nain and Lee Sejun.
Then folded his arms with obvious dissatisfaction.
Only Monk Cheonghwi's quiet chanting broke the silence.
The colonel seemed relieved that no argument had broken out.
He rubbed his eyes again and continued.
"The reason we've gathered all of you here today is because the field reports have confirmed that the localized infiltration-type alteration phenomena you possess—what you call magic—are far more useful and far more powerful than the military originally believed."
None of the officers spoke.
They simply stood at ease and observed us.
Even though they tried to maintain expressionless faces, their exhaustion was obvious.
Only the colonel openly displayed his fatigue.
"Therefore, the military has decided to fully share all verified information regarding this crisis with our operators."
A murmur spread through the room.
"However, in exchange, you must sign confidentiality agreements stating that you will not disclose this information to the media or to unauthorized individuals."
His voice hardened.
"Everything discussed here is classified at Level Three or above. Violations may result in prosecution under military tribunals rather than civilian courts due to the current state of emergency."
"Martial law?"
Someone asked.
The colonel nodded.
"Martial law will be extended to Gyeonggi Province beginning at 4 PM on January 18."
Hmm...
Part of me wondered if I really needed to know all this.
But another voice immediately clicked its tongue inside my head.
Want to learn more magic?
Want stronger magic?
Then you need information.
You're planning to walk into the fog blind? Are you insane?
After hearing that voice, I had to admit how lazy and careless I'd been.
Right.
Preparation was what kept people alive in the hell inside the fog.
Straightening my posture and focusing my breathing, I prepared to listen carefully.
The colonel ordered his staff officers to distribute thick folders to the magicians.
The first document was the confidentiality agreement.
"Signature or fingerprint is fine."
"I don't have an ink pad."
Thunk.
At that moment, the projector screen lit up.
[SEOUL CONTAINMENT TIMELINE]
The colonel's expression darkened.
Just slightly.
Then he began speaking.
"We'll start with the first report of the fog..."
Watching him immediately produce a fully prepared presentation, I found myself questioning reality.
Since when was the Korean military this organized?
The military I knew was the kind that borrowed equipment from neighboring units whenever inspectors showed up because half their own supplies were missing.
Feeling vaguely unsettled, I pressed my fingerprint onto the confidentiality agreement and handed it over.
The officers collected it.
Then they distributed the real file.
I flipped it open.
***
November 24, 2027 — 03:48 AM
First fog occurrence reported near Bukhansan Mountain.
Treated as an abnormal weather phenomenon. No comprehensive investigation conducted.
December 3, 2027 — 02:43 AM
First encounter with the "Head Fusion Mimetic Beast," codenamed Amalgam.
Government first became aware after CCTV footage captured the creature fleeing from local residents' reports and being startled by a police siren.
December 5, 2027 — 10:16 PM
First reconnaissance mission conducted inside low-visibility fog zone.
December 6, 2027 — 04:03 AM
Reconnaissance failure.
Contact lost.
Body camera footage reveals Amalgams utilize terrain for concealment and approach prey while disguised as humans.
December 8, 2027 — 11:00 AM
Restricted zones established within fifty-meter visibility radius.
Containment efforts begin.
December 13, 2027 — 03:32 PM
Special police forces successfully kill an Amalgam.
Weaknesses identified:
- Rapid temperature changes
- Heat
- Destruction of fluid-containing cranial core
Research begins.
December 14, 2027
Containment deemed impossible through police resources alone.
Need for civilian movement restrictions inside Seoul confirmed.
December 17, 2027
Attempt to separate fused victims from Amalgams nearly causes biological disaster.
Recovery operations prohibited.
Corpse retrieval banned.
December 18, 2027
Cooperation framework initiated through the U.S. Embassy.
December 23, 2027
Joint military-police-fire department response doctrine established.
December 24, 2027
New unidentified organism discovered at redevelopment construction site.
Designated:
Autonomous Spinal Extraction Entity
Experts begin warning that Seoul's ecosystem may be undergoing replacement by an alien ecology.
December 28, 2027
Countermeasures established.
Movement can be temporarily restrained using pressure from fire hydrants or extinguishers and sudden temperature changes.
Extreme photosensitivity confirmed.
January 1, 2028
Containment deemed successful outside restricted zones.
January 2, 2028
Unknown creature discovered near Seoul wastewater facilities.
January 3, 2028
Confirmed to be a cellular colony originating from human DNA.
Designated:
Degenerative Cellular Aggregate
Concerns raised regarding inevitable loss of containment.
January 4, 2028
Evidence suggests additional unidentified species exist within restricted zones.
VIP evacuations and quarantine procedures begin.
January 6, 2028 — 02:13 AM
Fog visibility begins rapidly decreasing.
January 6, 2028 — 02:31 AM
Critical threshold surpassed.
January 6, 2028 — 08:11 AM
Military lockdown orders issued on all major roads surrounding Seoul.
January 6, 2028 — 11:34 AM
Emergency martial law declared across Seoul.
Authorization for lethal force granted.
January 6, 2028 — 01:46 PM
National mobilization order declared.
***
After reading through the report and hearing the explanation, I smacked my lips and casually flipped another page.
"Excuse me."
"Yes, Operator Baek Jemin. Any questions?"
I asked the most obvious question imaginable.
"Where's the information about magic?"
Everyone in the room looked at me as if I were completely insane.