Chapter 51

Turns Out She'd Been Protecting Us

The square-jawed woman's name was Kang Areum.

According to her, she was thirty-two years old and a Seoul Mage possessing Hand Stage 1 and Ear Stage 2.

But her personal details were far less important than her magical specialization.

Kang Areum was a practitioner of Forward Modified Magic, and she seemed quite knowledgeable about Reverse Modified Magic users as well.

In fact, her Hand Magic was identical to the one I knew.

"Come on in. I can't offer the kind of hospitality you've got outside, so lower your expectations."

Kang Areum openly showed us around her underground parking-garage shelter.

One thing immediately stood out.

There were no visible traces of human waste.

There were stacks of instant noodles, bottled water, and camping supplies, but none of the filth you'd expect from someone living underground for months.

Flashlights illuminated the darker sections of the garage.

I didn't see a generator, but various cables were connected to parked vehicles, suggesting she was charging batteries from car power supplies.

Most of her equipment consumed very little electricity.

Other than flashlights and phone chargers, there were barely any electronics.

The place was cleaner than any of us expected.

Stacks of canned food and ramen boxes were neatly organized inside abandoned cars.

Relatively clean clothing had been folded and stored.

Just looking around made it obvious how Kang Areum had survived this long.

The pastor was the first to comment.

"Pretty clean for a woman living alone."

"You make it sound like women living alone automatically live in pigsties."

She shot him a glare.

"I don't believe in Jesus, so watch your wording."

"Huh. Don't be like that. You should come hear a sermon sometime. It's a shame someone like you doesn't go to church."

Pat. Pat.

I lightly smacked the pastor on the back.

"Ow! Baek Je-min, what was that for?"

"I'll handle the conversation."

Honestly, I wanted to hit him harder.

But I respected my elders.

Lee Se-jun's social skills were a disaster waiting to happen.

Shin Na-in needed to focus on reading intentions.

Hamza was more useful supporting her detection abilities.

Therefore, the most rational and reasonable person present—namely me—took charge of negotiations.

"How do you handle waste disposal?"

"...Je-min, what the hell?"

Lee Se-jun immediately panicked.

Kang Areum, however, was a professional survivor.

She merely raised an eyebrow before pulling her jacket tighter and smirking.

"I borrow the upper-floor apartments when it's safe. Otherwise I use chamber pots."

In normal times, that question might have gotten me arrested.

But Kang Areum actually seemed pleased I'd asked.

Because disgusting as it was, waste management mattered.

Our group usually relieved ourselves wherever we could find privacy or used public restrooms.

Kang Areum had spent months timing safe trips up the emergency stairwell to dispose of waste properly.

Why was that important?

Because it helped determine whether monsters tracked people through scent.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, Shin Na-in gave me a surprised look.

I honestly had no idea what kind of idiot she'd assumed I was.

Ironically, Kang Areum—who'd only just met me—seemed more impressed.

She walked over to a vehicle with its hood open and glanced back.

"You're more cautious than I expected from outsiders. When I heard all that gunfire, I figured you were lunatics."

"Good. Let's get straight to business. Tell us what each side wants."

Bang.

Before shutting a trunk, Kang Areum pulled out a notebook.

Holding it in one hand, she rested the other on her hip.

"I want to know how much the outside world knows about Seoul. Information that could help break through the containment lines. If possible, I'd like to do some trading too."

"And your price?"

"Hmm..."

She shrugged.

"I'll answer your questions. Let you stay here for a day."

The information she possessed was undoubtedly more valuable than ours regarding Seoul itself.

The problem was that neither side could accurately judge the value of what the other possessed.

I looked toward Shin Na-in for help.

Unfortunately, she merely confirmed that Kang Areum's self-introduction had been truthful.

With an annoyed sigh, Shin Na-in glared at her.

"She's definitely Ear Stage 2. I can vaguely grasp her intentions, but I can't hear everything clearly."

I leaned closer and whispered.

"Why don't you try charming her a little? You're decent-looking. Pretty popular too."

"As a faithful Christian, I have vowed to preserve my chastity until marriage."

"You could just marry her."

The look Shin Na-in gave me was the third-angriest expression I'd ever seen from her.

I immediately shut my mouth.

Turning back to Kang Areum, I adjusted my rifle sling.

"Sounds good. Let's make a fair trade."

"Hey, Baek Je-min. You were acting like some master negotiator and all you came up with was 'fair trade'?"

I ignored the pastor completely.

Hoooo.

I deliberately let out a dramatic breath through my gas mask and tapped my rifle.

"Ms. Kang. If you want a hot deal, just say so."

"A hot deal, my ass."

Kang Areum burst out laughing.

She walked over to another car—a sedan, as far as my complete lack of automotive knowledge could tell—and placed the notebook on the hood.

Then she smiled.

"Fine. Fair trade."

She looked at all of us.

"It's nice seeing normal people again."

***

The trade began immediately.

We agreed to provide information first.

After all, Kang Areum couldn't leave Seoul to verify anything we told her.

Giving away information first posed little risk.

Having been trapped in Seoul for four months, she reacted dramatically to every piece of news.

"What? Fog appeared and disappeared as far away as Gyeonggi Province?"

"Yeah. I almost got killed by an Amalgam while standing guard. If I hadn't awakened magic, I'd be dead."

"Amalgam? What's that?"

"The ones with fused heads."

"Ohhh."

She nodded.

"So they had a name. Around here we usually called them Mimic Trees."

At thirty-two, she was four years older than me.

Speaking respectfully to her felt completely natural.

The only issue was the muttering coming from somewhere behind us.

Lee Se-jun seemed deeply wounded by being told not to call her "Noona."

"I'm only twenty-four..."

Twenty-four?

Looking like that?

I heroically resisted the urge to comment.

Instead, I continued talking with Kang Areum.

A lot had happened outside.

Tactical nuclear strikes against Seoul were being discussed.

The first containment line had originally deployed 150,000 soldiers, and over 14,000 had already died.

UN forces were coming.

Chinese troops had entered through Ganghwa Island, effectively paralyzing the government after its evacuation to Incheon.

Protests were spreading throughout rear-area cities as families demanded the rescue of loved ones.

And finally—

The Korean and American militaries had begun their operation to reclaim Seoul, hoping to uncover the truth behind the fog and acquire magical knowledge.

A fair trade meant a fair trade.

We told her everything.

If she didn't like the deal, we could always renegotiate with bullets afterward.

At minimum, we'd gain access to noodles and drinking water for a day.

Thankfully for all involved, Kang Areum turned out to be a trustworthy survivor.

She'd spent four months enduring Seoul because she'd believed someone from the outside would eventually come.

Or that escape might one day become possible.

Throughout our explanation, she listened with her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Eventually, she asked in a trembling voice:

"What about Sokcho? Is Sokcho still okay? I heard martial law troops were shooting civilians!"

"There are major protests in several rear-area cities, but we left on April 15. We don't know what's happened since then."

I shook my head.

"We haven't heard anything specific about Sokcho."

Thinking about it, our journey really had been absurd.

We hadn't even been in Seoul for seventy-two hours.

Yet we'd already witnessed more insanity than most people would see in a lifetime.

"Oh God... my parents are there..."

"They're not in Seoul, at least."

"That's true, but..."

I found myself remembering Han Suk-ja, who'd visited her eldest daughter in Seoul and disappeared.

Along with her son.

And the military driver.

Perhaps the reason Kang Areum had endured alone for so long was because she'd believed her family remained safe outside.

Once she learned the containment line still stood, she gradually calmed down.

After taking several deep breaths, she rubbed her forehead.

"So let me get this straight."

Her voice had become steady again.

"You people are civilian mage operatives sent from outside Seoul."

"Correct."

"The soldiers accompanying you all disappeared, but you entered the subway tunnels anyway, killed nearly a hundred Mimic Trees and Spine Constructs, and forced your way through."

"Well..."

"And then you defeated a Reverse Modified Mage who'd fought soldiers near Jangji Station and stolen military weapons."

Kang Areum slowly repeated our accomplishments one by one.

Then she looked around at all five of us.

The expression in her eyes was a mixture of suspicion...

...and awe.

"Honestly, if I evaluate your combat capability objectively, it's impressive.

No, more than impressive. The way you deal with monsters is downright overwhelming. Your magic seems relatively underdeveloped, but..."

Kang Areum shrugged.

"Regular military units can't survive here. Even military units with mages have limits because their mage ratio is usually low."

"Ahhh..."

Was there anything sweeter than hearing someone else list your accomplishments?

When I glanced around, I noticed Shin Na-in, Hamza, and even the pastor subtly straightening their shoulders.

Only Lee Se-jun remained oddly reserved, absentmindedly fiddling with his rifle sling.

This guy was still committed to his mysterious loner persona.

To be fair, there really was something about acting mysterious that fascinated people.

I had to physically suppress the urge to puff out my own chest.

Thankfully, the gas mask hid my grin.

It was then that Hamza raised a hand.

"How can you tell our magic levels are low?"

"Huh?"

Kang Areum blinked.

"Because the effects weaken depending on the gap in level. If someone is above me, I can't properly read their intentions. You get a feel for it immediately based on how effective your magic is."

Halfway through her explanation, she seemed to realize something.

A strange smile crossed her face.

She looked around at all of us.

"You people really don't know anything out there, huh?"

She tapped her notebook.

"This won't be a fair trade anymore."

...

I tightened my grip on my rifle sling.

If negotiations fell apart, I wasn't planning to hesitate.

"Baek Je-min, wait—"

The pastor tried to stop me.

Too late.

Kang Areum narrowed her eyes as I stepped forward.

"Why are you giving me that?"

"This is a can of Spam I was secretly saving for myself."

I held it out.

"But I'll trade it for the information."

Kang Areum stared at the Spam.

Then turned it over in her hands.

Then laughed.

"You're kind of adorable, little brother."

She pocketed it.

"I'll tell you."

Hot Deal: Successful.

The first thing we asked about was the mysterious black-and-blue phone.

Kang Areum took the phone from me, examined it, and casually handed it back.

"So that's where this one came from. The Jangji Station group."

"...A curse phone?"

The words didn't even belong in the same sentence.

Curse and phone.

Science was rolling in its grave.

Kang Areum shook her head and showed us her own phone.

It looked like an ordinary smartphone.

The signal indicator was dead.

No data.

No Wi-Fi.

Yet it still functioned.

"That's exactly what it is. You know the data centers and cell towers got abandoned. Some places still have satellite internet, but if you want to exchange information in areas without infrastructure, you need a curse phone."

Shin Na-in couldn't hold back anymore.

"How is that even possible?"

Kang Areum waved her pink curse phone.

Which, I noted, was surprisingly cute for someone who looked like she could bench-press a refrigerator.

"Open the case and look near the integrated battery. There should be blood writing."

Sure enough, when I opened the black-and-blue phone, I found dried blood characters on the battery.

[Communication]

The writing had already turned brown with age.

The magic looked close to expiring.

Kang Areum pressed her pink phone against mine.

"Most curse phones aren't true curse phones. They're more like copies."

She thought for a moment.

"Think of it like this. A real curse phone acts as the server. The ordinary ones connect to it."

"...Cloud services?"

"Exactly."

She pointed at my phone.

"Those ordinary phones have extremely limited functions. When the real curse phones send or receive information, the weaker ones imitate the process."

"So the survivor groups share information to get people using them?"

Hamza asked.

Kang Areum snapped her fingers.

"Quick learner."

She nodded.

"Yep. Maintaining communication networks. Sometimes survivor groups refresh people's curse phones so they stay functional. Mine got renewed about a month ago."

If Kang Areum was originally an ordinary civilian, then the people maintaining the true curse phones were practically genuine sorcerers passing down specialized knowledge.

Apparently they also used strange passphrases.

She recited one from memory.

"66 for the completion of 7.

55 for the completion of 66.

Humanity for the completion of 55."

"That's one of their questions," she said.

"The response is apparently something only their group knows."

"You don't have any theories?"

"Oh, plenty."

Kang Areum truly was the queen of fair trades.

Once she liked someone, she seemed incapable of withholding information.

"Most people think 55 refers to achieving all five branches of Modified Magic at Stage Five."

The garage fell silent.

"If someone reaches five branches at Stage Five, some believe they can challenge the realm of Six Branches, Six Stages."

"And Seven?"

"Probably something even higher."

"Five branches. Five stages..."

I glanced toward the pastor.

He looked oddly uncomfortable.

Probably remembering the monk we'd met.

"Sounds similar to that monk's talk about Twenty-Five Realms and Five Aggregates."

He scratched his chin.

"The difference starts after six."

Then he looked at me.

"Baek Je-min. You participated in the ritual too. Doesn't any of this ring a bell?"

I thought about it.

The chants did sound familiar.

But I couldn't remember the refrain.

Still, one thing became clearer.

Monk Cheonghwi was almost certainly connected to the same organization operating the true curse phones.

***

Naturally, we kept asking questions.

"Anything we should know before crossing the Han River?"

"Plenty."

Kang Areum immediately answered.

"Problem is, I don't know most of it."

She leaned back.

"I'm in Songpa. Why would I cross into Gangbuk?"

Even so, she offered several warnings.

"There'll definitely be survivor groups over there."

Then her expression darkened.

"And be careful around Reverse Modified Mages."

She paused.

"The one you fought near the department store..."

Her lips twisted.

"That was Jeong Nari."

That was the first time we'd heard the Dubai Chewy Witch's real name.

Kang Areum clicked her tongue.

Apparently information about Reverse Modified Mages was commonly shared among survivor communities.

She seemed perfectly willing to tell us everything.

After all, if we'd beaten Jeong Nari, she doubted we'd be easy prey.

When we explained the growth we'd experienced and the information we'd obtained, she finally nodded in understanding.

"Tongue Magic depends heavily on defining a subject and target."

She tapped her temple.

"That's why Reverse Tongue Stage Two—Emotion Detonation—didn't work on you."

"Why not?"

"You never gave her time."

She pointed at us.

"You pressured her constantly. She either never confirmed the target properly or didn't have the opportunity to cast it."

Then she sighed.

"There were soldiers there too?"

"Yeah."

"Poor bastards."

"Your expression doesn't look very sympathetic."

"If you'd seen people torn apart by artillery, you'd look like this too."

***

Then came the truly important information.

"Like the Mimic Trees, stealing knowledge and experience by fusing heads is Reverse Tongue Stage One."

She smiled humorlessly.

"Devour."

The signature ability of Reverse Modified Magic.

And one of the main reasons survivor communities were so secretive.

"If a weak survivor gets captured, all their information gets stolen."

Her voice turned cold.

"Share too much with the wrong person and your entire group's secrets become monster food."

Then she continued.

"Most people know Reverse Modified Magic up to Heart Stage Three."

"Why?"

"Because it's too distinctive."

She began counting on her fingers.

"Reverse Stage One: Perfect Absorption. Everything you eat gets absorbed with incredible efficiency."

"Reverse Stage Two: Instant Evolution. Consumes massive amounts of nutrients to temporarily enhance bodily functions."

Then she raised a third finger.

"Reverse Stage Three."

Her expression hardened.

"Hierarchy Establishment."

"The monster symbiosis thing?"

"Exactly."

We listened quietly.

She continued.

"Remember how Predatory Spine infection works?"

We nodded.

"Hierarchy Establishment means the mage gains complete control over the body."

Her gaze sharpened.

"Even if part of your body becomes a monster, you remain dominant."

The implication made everyone uncomfortable.

"The monster chooses a superior host."

"The mage gains a second consciousness."

"The result is instinctive movement, enhanced survival, and monster abilities."

She pointed at the floor.

"Jeong Nari probably evolved her spine into a Predatory Spine after achieving Reverse Stage Three."

The explanation was horrifying.

First get infected.

Then become partially paralyzed.

Then allow your spine to mutate.

Then seize control back from the monster.

Then enslave it.

That was Reverse Stage Three.

Naturally, the Archmages were horrified.

"That's insane..."

"Completely insane."

Shin Na-in and Lee Se-jun clicked their tongues.

As for me—

Though she had been an enemy, I found myself strangely moved by Jeong Nari's dedication.

To pursue greater magical heights even at the cost of one's own spine...

I understood the sentiment.

How desperate for strength must she have been?

I silently paid my respects.

***

Then Hamza asked the question we'd all been wondering.

"Why can't non-mages go outside when the fog thins?"

"Ah."

Kang Areum's expression changed immediately.

We'd assumed it was because monsters like the Skin Jellyfish became active when visibility improved.

Or because magic became harder to use.

Instead, Kang Areum looked genuinely stunned.

"You people don't know?"

"Stop dragging it out and tell us."

She covered her mouth.

For several seconds she seemed unsure how to explain it.

Then she blurted out:

"Wait. Are they using thermobaric bombs and stuff because they're trying to get rid of the fog?"

"...What?"

The garage suddenly became silent.

Kang Areum tapped the car hood anxiously.

Then swallowed.

Then spoke.

"The order is backwards."

All five Archmages stared at her.

"What do you mean?"

Shin Na-in's voice sharpened.

The fog was the source of everything.

The monsters came from the fog.

Everyone knew that.

Didn't they?

Kang Areum looked at us as if we were the crazy ones.

Then she finally spoke.

"You know all those monsters used to be Seoul residents."

Nobody answered.

"Only mages develop resistance."

Her fingers tightened.

The emotions in her eyes were a mixture of fear, disgust, disbelief, and exhaustion.

Then she delivered the revelation.

"The monsters..."

She took a shaky breath.

"...get weaker when they're inside the fog."

Silence.

Complete silence.

The implication hit all of us at once.

The fog wasn't protecting the monsters.

The fog was suppressing them.