Chapter 86

Those Who Grew Stronger by Running Away

Secrets.

We tend to forget the weight of that word far too easily.

People wonder why things are hidden at all. Some even grumble that if everyone had just been honest from the start, problems wouldn't have spiraled out of control.

But honesty is only an effective means of communication when a problem can actually be solved.

Humans are not as resilient as they imagine. They are not steadfast. They cry out against injustice aimed at themselves, and when a rational, logically calculated outcome works against them, they cannot accept it.

It's the same reason people forget that only a few centuries ago, when epidemics swept through populations, humanity survived by locking up anyone suspected of being infected and nailing their doors shut, leaving them to starve.

Humanity can never truly accept unpleasant truths.

The truth that they are not special.

The truth that, in the struggle against monsters, nobody can survive while saving everyone and maintaining perfect morality.

Looking at the classified documents Captain Kim Ho-un handed us, I felt that reality once again.

The contents boiled down to three major points.

First. Why were they so calm about the Han River anomaly?

Major General Jeon Min-ho explained it very politely.

"On January 3rd, there was one final reconnaissance attempt inside the restricted zone. During that operation, substantial circumstantial evidence confirmed the existence of numerous unidentified species. Witness testimony also established that monsters were jumping into the Han River. Mr. Baek Je-min's testimony will serve as critical evidence showing, at least partially, how the Han River has changed."

They had also conducted reconnaissance using unmanned drones.

According to them, underwater drones would operate perfectly normally until they entered certain sections of the river, at which point severe interference would suddenly occur and the drones would fail.

As a result, they had suspected something was there.

My testimony had simply transformed suspicion into certainty.

The American generals seemed particularly affected by the way I'd delivered that testimony.

Lieutenant General Royce quietly clasped his hands and offered a prayer.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Thatcher—the sleepy-looking white officer—scribbled furiously on his documents while muttering to himself.

"Next time nukes are on the table, we need a kill plan for that entire river. Boil it. Irradiate it. Total eradication. We'd better have a contingency plan ready."

General McKenzie immediately laughed.

"Easy, Thatcher. You want nukes, take it up with Congress. Maybe remind those fine senators who's been funding their campaigns—they seem to have forgotten."

Thatcher nodded with obvious dissatisfaction.

Wondering what that meant, I looked toward Captain Kim.

It was pointless.

Captain Kim simply kept his mouth shut and shook his head.

Just casual chatter among generals, I guessed.

Everyone deserved some privacy.

I let it go and focused on the next question.

Second. Who was this so-called "Prophet" that had influenced the predecessor of the Reality Survival Command?

Only the generals could answer that.

The Supreme Mages sat in silence, waiting for an explanation directly from military leadership.

Listening was faster than trying to decipher the absurdly tangled writing in the documents.

The generals flipped through their folders and exchanged quiet sighs.

Eventually, Major General Jeon placed his folder on the folding table and spoke.

"We believe the Prophet was a dissident within the Sixty-Six Society. Either a participant in an internal power struggle or someone who disagreed with their methods and attempted to mobilize outside forces."

"Specifically, during the first Seoul expedition, you are aware that special forces advanced along Line 3, unlike Aphorism and the follow-up units."

"Kimchi Spam. Don't worry. We already know about the Stage One auditory. Keep it between us, and you've got nothing to worry about."

"Is that so?"

I deliberately pretended ignorance.

Specifically, I pretended not to know about the information Shin Na-in had gathered using Ear Magic.

Information such as the fact that over seventy special operators had entered Seoul and nearly half had died before escaping.

I didn't want to reveal our information-gathering capabilities carelessly.

At that, Lieutenant General Royce—the scarred side-born officer standing behind Jeon—burst out laughing and waved dismissively.

What the hell was he saying?

I'd never scored above 400 on the TOEIC.

Spoken English was completely beyond me.

Without Captain Kim stepping in, I'd have just sat there frowning in confusion.

"The Lieutenant General is saying that even if you learned about the Line 3 special forces through communications with officers at the Seongnam blockade line, it isn't a problem as long as you maintain confidentiality."

"How do you know that?"

"The booklet distributed even to reservists contained the magical knowledge the military had already acquired. After months of working with civilian operators and specialist personnel, we've developed a reasonable understanding of the Heart, Eye, and Ear systems through the Second Stage. However, information regarding the Hand and Tongue systems, as well as concepts like Inversion Types and Ritual Types, represents one of the most valuable achievements Aphorism brought back from this expedition. The generals can praise you later. For now, please focus on the discussion."

The unspoken please practically radiated from Captain Kim's eyes.

I had never seen his cheekbones twitch so much before.

When I finally nodded, the generals' expressions shifted.

They were now certain we knew about the special forces operation.

Major General Jeon, who had been quietly observing, continued in a heavier tone.

"If you already know about the special forces, this will be easier to explain. The special forces deployed during this operation were not ordinary special forces."

"Well, obviously. If the Combined Command sent them, they must've been incredibly strong."

Pastor Park raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Most of us felt similarly.

Saying special forces weren't ordinary because they were special wasn't exactly enlightening.

Even I, Baek Je-min—a man who makes an effort to give good reactions—couldn't bring myself to applaud such an obvious statement.

Shin Na-in tilted his head.

Lee Se-jun yawned.

Hamza kept looking around.

Then Major General Jeon spoke.

"They were Tier-One special forces. Comparisons between nations are difficult due to differing doctrines, but they were personnel who could legitimately be called elite among elites."

"The seventy-six personnel deployed in this operation. I cannot reveal their exact composition or official unit designations."

"But you've likely heard the names."

His expression grew grave.

"Every one of them came from Delta Force or equivalent national special mission units."

Among the Supreme Mages, only Lee Se-jun reacted.

The rest of us stared blankly at Jeon as though wondering why he was acting so serious.

Lee Se-jun abruptly shoved his chair back and stood.

"Wait. You guys don't know? Delta Force! Special Mission Units!"

"What the hell is that, you nerd?"

The moment I shot back, Shin Na-in clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

"Mr. Se-jun. Nothing compares to the love of the Lord. Why are you so shocked? Read the Bible. Every verse contains miracles of faith."

"Oh, for God's sake!"

Unable to take it anymore, Lee Se-jun collapsed back into his chair and buried his face in his enormous right hand.

Even Pastor Park rubbed his chin, wondering if it was really that impressive.

Hamza merely blinked.

Major General Jeon let out a helpless laugh and clarified.

"In simple terms: humanity's finest. The kind of soldiers modern humanity would proudly call the best of the best."

"Now that's something we understand. Isn't that right, Baek Je-min? Na-in? Muslim guy?"

"Definitely."

"Amen."

"I don't know anything."

Only then did Pastor Park straighten his posture and become serious.

I did the same.

See? Terms like Delta Force and Special Mission Unit meant nothing to me.

Humanity's finest was much easier to understand.

Still, for some reason, the generals all seemed to be suppressing bitter laughter or shrugging helplessly.

Major General Jeon sighed like a man who had aged ten years on the spot.

"If Aphorism succeeded in acquiring extensive knowledge about magic, monsters, and the Sixty-Six Society, then the special forces advancing along Line 3 succeeded in reaching Dogok Station and fought repeated engagements."

"The information in the following pages was obtained during those battles."

"Turn the page."

Which led to the third point.

Third. Why did humanity's finest special forces suffer casualties exceeding fifty percent and retreat?

The answer filled the next pages.

Photographs taken from action cameras had been printed clearly across them.

At first, I didn't see anything strange.

They just looked like ordinary soldiers who had been shot and killed.

Even comparing them to the troops stationed along the blockade line revealed nothing unusual.

Combat helmets.

Gas masks.

Backpacks.

K2 rifles.

Grenades hanging from belts.

Old canteens.

Uniforms stained with blood and dirt.

Given the shortage of CBRN protective gear forcing soldiers to substitute ponchos, the absence of proper protective equipment wasn't noteworthy either.

If Shin Na-in hadn't pointed it out, I never would have noticed.

"The bandages wrapped around their hands and left shoulders. Check the numbers written on them."

Only then did the oddity jump out.

"Seriously. How can people who don't know Delta Force notice stuff like this immediately?"

"Shut up, Lee Se-jun. Na-in caught something important. Why are these guys wearing bandages over their uniforms? They don't even seem wounded."

"There is blood on the bandages. But it's strange. It doesn't look like it seeped out. It looks smeared on."

Lee Se-jun grumbled.

The pastor adjusted his glasses.

Hamza looked puzzled.

Only I immediately focused on the number.

"...55."

Suddenly, the dense text beside the photographs became clear.

The generals noticed our attention and finally explained.

"The special forces returned with concrete evidence regarding what had previously been little more than rumor."

"Rumor?"

"It isn't as though the military never sent reconnaissance teams. Following the Threshold Breach, Seoul became increasingly hostile due to the strange fog and other environmental changes. Several limited incursions were attempted."

"The objective was to restore contact with military units that had gone silent and to inspect communication infrastructure."

"Most ended in annihilation or disappearance."

"The only indication they had existed were rumors that firefights with human opponents had occurred near the blockade lines."

Major General Jeon pushed his folder toward us and pointed directly at the white bandages wrapped around the soldiers' hands and left shoulders like makeshift insignia.

"These individuals are believed to be a military force controlled by the Sixty-Six Society."

"They operate under the command of Sixty-Six Society mages."

"Unlike ordinary conscripts with uneven training, witnesses report an unnaturally disciplined level of organization."

"We believe they are composed primarily of active-duty soldiers and deserters who failed to escape Seoul during the Threshold Breach."

He pointed to the blood-caked 55 carved into the backs of their hands and the 55 written in blood across the white bandages.

"Codename: Unit 55."

"Their mission appears to be preventing outside personnel from exploring Seoul and preserving the Sixty-Six Society's influence within the city."

Unit 55.

Through a tablet PC that Captain Kim Ho-un hurriedly brought over, we were able to watch the action-camera footage recovered by the special forces.

Unexpectedly, the star of the show turned out to be Shin Na-in.

Having reached Stage 3 of the Ear path and already possessing Stage 1 Eye abilities that allowed him to glimpse the past, he frowned deeply the moment the footage started playing.

The special forces in the video were cautiously advancing through a subway passageway when Shin Na-in suddenly began providing narration.

"They're setting up an ambush."

"Hey, stop spoiling it."

"The Ear Mages are talking. Seven Stage 1 Ear Mages. Three Stage 1 Eye Mages. One Heart Mage. They've been systematically trained."

"What?"

Shin Na-in had apparently reached a level where he could even hear the thoughts and communications of the people recorded in the footage.

Was this what Stage 3 Ear Magic was capable of?

Meanwhile, events began unfolding in the video.

The firefight started with a burst of gunfire, and despite the overwhelming training and skill of the special forces, the battle quickly developed in a completely unexpected direction.

The special forces were equipped with every cutting-edge tactical device and optical enhancement imaginable, allowing them to see through the darkness.

Yet Unit 55—supposedly composed of former conscripts—was fighting them on equal footing.

Even considering the advantages of terrain and ambush, it made little sense.

After hearing Shin Na-in's remarks, Major General Jeon narrowed his eyes.

"Please elaborate. Mr. Shin Na-in, your talent and magic may save many lives in the future."

"In the name of the Lord God. If it is for those fighting the servants of Satan, I will gladly do so."

Thanks to that, we gained a detailed picture of the tactics employed by Unit 55 against the calm, overwhelming combat proficiency of the special forces.

Watching the elite operators systematically eliminate Unit 55 personnel with astonishing marksmanship was impressive enough.

But the tactics flowing from Shin Na-in's mouth were equally disturbing.

Major General Jeon practically interrogated him.

"What role do the Ear Mages play? What are their capabilities?"

"The seven Ear Mages function as communications personnel. Ear-path magic allows individuals of the same stage to communicate telepathically. There appears to be a range limit, but it works. Mr. Je-min and I have spoken that way before. They can exchange information instantly through telepathy, so they serve as riflemen while each coordinating with one or two Eye Mages or the Heart Mage."

"And the Eye Mages?"

"The Unit 55 members who learned Eye Magic act like tracer rounds. Most aren't nearly as overwhelming as Mr. Je-min. Their abilities mainly involve infrared detection and seeing through darkness. Instead, they mark targets visually, shoot toward them, or throw objects to generate sound cues that guide allied fire."

"And the Heart Mage?"

"The machine-gunner."

At that moment in the footage, the special forces attempted to launch a proper counterattack.

A metallic clattering echoed through the subway tunnel.

Then an overwhelming wall of gunfire erupted.

The firefight had begun with an ambush and no prepared defensive positions. One operator suffered a critical wound.

Yet these truly were humanity's finest.

The special forces withdrew with remarkable discipline, avoiding any additional casualties.

Unit 55 had lost three men.

The real problem wasn't their losses.

It was their tactics.

"They're beginning to retreat. No... they've all switched to magazines enhanced by Stage 1 Hand Magic. This is..."

The camera shook wildly as wounded personnel were evacuated.

Then strange cries and shrieks echoed through the tunnel.

Monster sounds.

Sounds we'd spent nearly eleven days hearing throughout Seoul.

The subway tunnels filled with them.

Everyone understood why the monsters had appeared at that exact moment.

The difference was that Shin Na-in understood what Unit 55 intended.

He stared into the shaking footage.

The final perspective of the special forces operator.

The muzzle of a rifle aimed into the darkness.

"...Suppression."

The operator was preparing to fire into the approaching horde of monsters.

Then a furious barrage erupted from behind him.

The Supreme Mages remained silent.

Only Shin Na-in calmly explained Unit 55's intentions.

The Heart Mage of Unit 55 continuously fired the machine gun, restricting the mobility and firepower of the special forces.

The fact that monsters died in the process didn't matter.

Because they knew the gunfire would attract even more monsters.

The Eye Mages acted as spotters, directing the machine-gun fire.

At the same time, they monitored monster movements and secured escape routes for their own troops.

The Ear Mages maintained suppressive rifle fire, coordinated their squads' withdrawal, and eliminated enemies who attempted anything unexpected.

And then came their most important mission.

At the very end of the footage, amid the torrent of gunfire, a soldier was still shooting into the darkness, desperately killing the monsters charging toward them.

Then a horrifying voice echoed from the edge of the recording.

A voice so hoarse that it was impossible to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman.

The words scratched across the recording.

[Bring me the bastards who ordered the blockade.]

One of the special forces operators turned toward the voice.

The owner of the camera could not.

He was too busy holding back the monsters.

The scene showed brass casings rolling across the railway tracks as the operators found themselves surrounded on both sides.

Countless shouted orders rang out like screams.

Then, at some point, the operator firing toward the voice stopped pulling the trigger.

Several special forces soldiers lowered their weapons in visible shock.

That was when the commander's voice rang out.

[Break through the rear!]

Hand signals flashed.

A desperate pursuit began.

Gunshots cracked and ricocheted.

Heavy footsteps followed close behind the retreating operators.

Then—

Click.

The recording ended.

Shin Na-in looked around at the generals awaiting answers and the speechless Supreme Mages.

Then he spoke.

"The true mission of those devil's servants is to follow and protect a mage belonging to the group known as the Sixty-Six Society."

The generals didn't immediately accept his conclusion.

But after hearing the explanations regarding the magic system, acceptance came quickly.

More importantly, they now understood that Stage 3 Ear Magic could extract information even from recorded footage.

Its value had skyrocketed.

Major General Jeon looked genuinely impressed.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Shin Na-in. The military's conclusion is similar. We believe the Prophet was a dissident within the Society precisely because his actions contradict theirs."

"The Sixty-Six Society is intentionally restricting the military and outside world from acquiring information."

"They repeatedly attacked military reconnaissance teams and executed them without hesitation."

"Their intention to keep Seoul an unknown territory is clear."

"The small-scale engagements near the blockade line and the deliberate attraction of monster hordes also appear to be part of the Society's strategy."

"Could it simply be the independent actions of local survivors?"

I asked the question.

The answer sounded disturbingly reasonable.

"Even if they're acting independently, considering the influence the Sixty-Six Society possesses within Seoul, it is clear the Society is at minimum tolerating or ignoring such actions."

If you do nothing, you're complicit.

Simple logic.

Meanwhile, the American generals had been listening to Shin Na-in's live narration through Captain Kim's translation and looked equally impressed.

General McKenzie was the first to speak.

"Hard to wrap my head around. Even accounting for variation between stages, these folks seem to be in a league of their own. Do we have anyone on our side who can match them?"

Lieutenant General Royce answered immediately.

"First thing I checked when I took over, sir. We don't. The scale supposedly goes up to Stage Five, but the vast majority of ours are Stage One. Stage Two—we're talking a few hundred, across the board. Stage Three? This is the first report we've ever received."

Then Brigadier General Thatcher added in a stiff military tone:

"The rescued civilian is reportedly Stage Four, and according to these operators, most of the hostile practitioners inside Seoul are estimated at Stage Two minimum. Factor in the 55 Unit providing fire support and additional manpower, and future expeditions into Seoul are going to be significantly harder."

I couldn't hold back any longer.

"What are they saying?"

Captain Kim immediately rushed over and whispered into my ear.

"They're evaluating your abilities right now."

"Oh. What'd they say?"

"Well..."

Before he could answer, Shin Na-in stepped forward.

"I'll explain."

"Wait, I thought your Ear Magic was blocked?"

"Mr. Je-min. Not everyone requires magic to understand foreign languages."

According to Shin Na-in, the conversation went like this:

Field Marshal McKenzie:
It's hard to imagine. Even considering stage differences, these people seem vastly more capable. Do we have any mages who can surpass them?

Lieutenant General Royce:
I checked as soon as I took command. We don't. The system supposedly reaches Stage Five, but almost everyone on our side is Stage One. Only a few hundred have reached Stage Two. This is our first confirmed Stage Three report.

Brigadier General Thatcher:
The rescued civilian is supposedly Stage Four. According to their reports, most hostile mages inside Seoul are at least Stage Two. Add Unit 55's manpower and fire support, and future exploration of Seoul will become far more difficult.

Once again, I couldn't help being impressed.

Shin Na-in.

This guy was useful even as a translator.

The universe must've made him a religious fanatic to balance things out.

Then General McKenzie looked at us and laughed.

"Best of the best. They weren't kidding."

I didn't know exactly what he'd said.

But I knew it was the important part.

Nodding confidently with my pathetic English skills, I flashed a proud smile.

"Yes sir. We are best of best."

That was when Lee Se-jun, who had been covering his face the entire time, finally snapped.

"Mr. Je-min, please stop. This is unbelievably embarrassing."

"You've heard of a needle poking through a sack, right? Talent shines through eventually."

"I don't think that's what he meant..."

Earlier, he'd mocked me for not knowing what Delta Force was.

Now he was criticizing me for this.

What an asshole.

At that moment, Major General Jeon cleared his throat.

"There is still a great deal of information, knowledge, operational experience, and procedural understanding that Aphorism, the Combined U.S.-Korean Command, and the Reality Survival Command should share."

"Well... if the American generals are asking, we should help."

"That's good to hear."

Pastor Park looked at us like we were idiots but still nodded.

Encouraged by the response, Major General Jeon continued.

"Then I believe it's time we formally discuss Aphorism's future operations and the military support that will be provided."

The room immediately grew more serious. The real negotiations were about to begin.